The sun rises in the East 

Sending forth it’s morning heat 

The Lily in the valley below 

Reflects its wondrous glow 

 

Red, yellow, pink and white 

The roses send out their bright light 

It’s such a wondrous sight 

Beauty shining through the night 

 

* 

Born in 1960, Ezekiel Alembi spent his formative years in Western Kenya before joining Kenyatta University to study English and literature in 1985.  In 1998, Alembi was elected the vice president of the International Society of Folk Narrative Research (ISFNR) for Africa.  He became a senior lecturer at Kenyatta University in 2003, and in 2007 became the chairperson of the university’s literature department. 

Ezekiel Alembi has passed away in 2010 at the age of 49. During his lifetime, he authored over 45 children’s books that showcased a variety of Kenyan folktales.