I am a conservative poet who believes in the original rules of Kiswahili poesy. I totally disagree with the new era poets who compose 'mashairi guni/huru' (free verse), or even songs, and expect us to take these as poems. No way! I write about events in the everyday life of an ordinary mortal. Some of my writings are fictitious, but most are inspired by real life events -- either about me or as told to me. The line between these is, honestly, quite thin, I must confess. Kiswahili poems from the olden days -- especially from the East African coast -- drive my writing; they ink my quill. Poems by gurus like Muyaka bin Haji, Amri Kaluta Abed. I am a collector of antique Kiswahili poetry -- regardless of the 'lahaja' (dialect). In fact, the tougher the sweeter for me. When not looking for food for the body, I look for food for the soul -- I read books. Looking for a place to study the art of writing to its deepest depth. I am on: Facebook mwitiommarete, Twitter @mwitimarete , Skype mwiti-marete , GoogleTalk mwitimarete , YahooChat mwitiommarete

2005 IDRC/AISI Award winner - Africa (Reporting on ICT Research and Innovation); 2006 Rwanda Golden Pen Columnist of the Year; NUFFIC (the Netherlands) fellow.