Babior: I bought a Range Rover and mall after writing Raila, Ruto biographies (Exclusive)
In 2017, one of Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga’s biographies – The Raila Conspiracy: The Secrets behind Denying Him the Kenyan Presidency- was published.
It was written by Babior Newton, a Kenyan author.
In 2022, Babior also wrote President William Samoei Ruto’s biography, The Rise of a Hustler: From Chicken Seller to Presidency.
Nairobi News had an exclusive question-and-answer conversation with Mr. Babior on November 17, 2022, to learn how he came to write these acclaimed books and how his life changed.
How did you come to write Raila Odinga’s biography?
Raila’s book came around as a tragedy of thoughts. I wanted to do a biography after reading a certain story run by a South African magazine where Mr. Odinga was featured. I started thinking about looking at his life as a book. I can remember starting to write it. It was heavy, but confidence and consistency pulled it for me.
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How long did it take you to write Raila’s biography, and what was the process?
It took one year to write Raila’s biography, but it took another year to decide on the title. My original title was ‘The President that never was,’ but when I met Raila’s handlers, they never liked my title, and they never told me to change it. Someone just took the manuscript and hid it for close to a year. I won’t say who he was, but he felt irked by the title. When it was returned to me, I changed the title to ‘The Raila Conspiracy: Secrets behind Denying Him the Kenyan Presidency’. This was before the election of 2017, and no one in Raila’s circle embraced the book. They told me I was predicting and implying that Raila won’t win the 2017 election. For sure though politics is elusive. Raila wasn’t going to defeat Uhuru.
How did you come to write President William Ruto’s biography?
Ruto’s book came as a result of rebellion after I fell out with some members of Raila’s inner circle. I felt so bad. I wanted to settle the score. I was not afraid to support William Ruto in defeating Raila Odinga so that the entire political system in Nyanza could be retired. That was my aim.
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How much time did it take to write President Ruto’s biography, and what was the process like?
Writing Ruto’s biography wasn’t easy, but the people around him made it much easier for me. I can’t disclose many names but people around Ruto became more helpful, and within 7 months, I had a credible book. I realized it was easier to work with Ruto’s circle than Raila’s circle.
What was particularly hard about working on these two separate books?
Raila’s circle only embraced young people for technical/manual work or behind-the-scenes work. Young people were being pushed outside to create space for people who were too old.
How did your life change after having these books written and published under your name?
Yes, my life changed. I bought a Range Rover from the book Proceeds, a small mall called Zellers square, and a lot which I will share in the future. I earned a lot, but more so, all favor came before me. After Ruto was declared President, a certain production company approached me. They are already working on making the book into a film. People believe I talk to President daily.
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How did you come to meet Miguna Miguna? Is there a developing plan between the two of you?
We have a serious plan which I can only disclose at the right time. For now, we are ordinarily working on something and sharing a lot. Contrary to what the media peddles, Miguna is a good man, decent, a stickler to time, and very friendly. He is, to me, one of the most misunderstood people after Moses Kuria.
Do you have any advice for budding authors?
When you are good at something, please don’t do it for free.
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