The Bastard of Easternbull

By Nsababuturo Kokundeka

Nsababuturo Kokundeka is a Ugandan lawyer and a novelist. The Bastard of Easternbull is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by Nsababuturo Kokundeka, first published in Uganda in April 2007. It tells the story of a group of patriotic animals who rebel against brutal dictatorsip, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. Ultimately, the rebellion is betrayed, and under the dictatorship of a pig named Giant Porker, the nation ends up in a state far worse than before.

According to Nsababuturo Kokundeka, The Bastard of Easternbull reflects events leading up to the Animal Revolution and then on into the Majorist era of the The Union, a period when Easternbull lived under Giant Porker's tyranny. Kokundeka Nsababuturo, a democratic socialist, is a critic of geopolitics, an attitude that was critically shaped by his experiences during the Africa's civil wars.

The style of The Bastard of Easternbull is simple and clear. The novella's language is concrete, factual and delivered in short sentences. The simplicity of style culminates at the novella's end, in one-sentence paragraphs: "Formless and desolate, animal world followed the lost generation of the evil people." (Chapter xxxiv). The simplicity and clarity of the novella's style contrasts with the way Easternbull's characters use language. Throughout the book, characters use language in deceptive ways for political purposes. Some characters make their language complex in order to deceive, like Giant Porker when he is explaining Black Bomber's actions. Other characters use simplistic language to distort the truth, like the ibis with his tact, "I have petted the lion and he licked it like a pet dog...."

Alongside these examples of deceptive language, Nsababuturo Kokundeka's own writing style offers a constant reminder that truth can be conveyed in straightforward language anyone can understand. The strong contrast between the plainspoken style of the novel and the manipulative styles adopted by characters who want to seize power illuminates the difference between truthful language and political deception.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9970946501
• ISBN13: 9789970946501
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Hobehobe Library
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"