Pen Name - Wanjiru Uhuru

The pen name I am using for all of my published works is Wanjiru Uhuru.  When I initially made my name change from Kharlene Matthews, I changed it to Kaya Wanjiru Uhuru.  This change came after relentlessly seeking a suitable name for my impending name-change, which I had already decided to make.  I was reading a book by Barbara Wood called Green City In the Sun, and there I found my name.  Kaya is Kikuyu word for an unshakable type of faith.  Wanjiru is Kikuyu for black, and Uhuru is Swahili for Freedom Fighter.

After much contemplation, I decided to use Wanjiru Uhuru as my pen name.  In doing so, I am hoping that I can maintain my career as a writer separate from my other activities.  This name represents the essence of who I am...a Black Freedom Fighter.  I will always strive towards the freedom of all humanity.

Wanjiru Uhuru aka Kaya Matthews