Sheikh Shaaban Bin Robert (often abbreviated as ‘Shaaban Robert’) had humble beginnings – he was an unasumming primary school dropout with a gift for storytelling.
He wrote prose, poetry and essays and employed a very wide range of literary devices, including allegory and personification. He wasn’t merely a storyteller – he was more of a teacher and socio-political commentator, using literature as a tool.
He tackled such themes as justice, law, love, peace, brotherhood and the human condition. His many and varied works made a big contribution to Swahili literature and culture. Continue reading