Book Review: ‘The Missing Corpse’ by Yasin Kakande
Reviewed by: Ishaya Ibrahim
Yasin Kakande’s crime thriller, ‘The Missing Corpse,’ is far more than a simple disappearance of a dead body. It’s a scathing, allegorical look at African dictatorships. At the heart of the story is the fictional Ugandan dictator, Katila Muaji, a figure whose iron-fisted, life-long rule mirrors the reality of many real-life leaders across the continent—men who govern under the flimsy veneer of democracy where election results are a foregone conclusion.
The central drama kicks off when Muaji’s son, General Mlevi Kainewaragi, orchestrates his father’s demise in a meticulously planned coup. Mlevi’s plot to seize power is instantly complicated when the one thing he absolutely needs—his father’s corpse—disappears. Without the body, the vital ritual of succession cannot be performed, throwing the country and Mlevi’s carefully laid plans into chaos.
Enter the CIA, Uganda’s biggest financial and intelligence provider, whose immediate interest is protecting its stake in the country. They send their best operative, Shawn, to steal the body, an act that ignites a high-stakes, commando-style operation within the presidential palace.
However, what begins as a calculated intelligence mission quickly spirals into a personal crisis for Shawn, intertwining his fate with that of a local woman, Joanne, her partner Helen, and Helen’s son. The narrative escalates into a brutal confrontation with General Mlevi, a man whose desperate search for the corpse leads him to employ the cruelest forms of torture against the captured group.
Kakande delivers this thriller with the deft skill of a master storyteller. His mastery of the genre is evident in the rich dialogue and compelling logic that drives the plot. He expertly punctuates serious, high-stakes conversations with perfectly timed comic reliefs, ensuring the read remains enjoyable and dynamic despite its heavy political undertones.
However, the book’s true power lies in its bold use of imagery and symbolism to dissect the post-colonial African condition. One example is how the author powerfully likens the state of Uganda to the prisoner, Joanne “a country forced to lie face down while men in power step on its skull.”
Also, Kakande’s wit is sharp, as seen in his satirical descriptions of the local brothel. “No employer in Uganda hires more people than this brothel… This—this is the real ‘Made in Uganda.’ The last thing we still produce. Everything else comes from outside… But sex?… Sex is our local industry.”
He also mesmerizes with logical comparisons that instantly land the message, such as: “Any government lucky enough to have an opposition like Uganda’s could rule forever. Hell, even death wouldn’t interrupt it. They’d probably tweet the funeral.”
‘The Missing Corpse‘ is a gripping, witty, and fiercely insightful crime thriller. It pulls the reader along with a thrilling espionage plot while simultaneously forcing a re-examination of the political consciousness of a continent. The book’s conclusion sees the women, Joanne and Helen, seizing control of the interrogation of General Mlevi and forcing a constitutional resolution—a symbolic act of the citizenry finally taking matters into its own hands.
This novel is highly recommended for all readers interested in international thrillers, African politics, or simply a well-crafted, thought-provoking novels. It’s an entertaining read with a profound message.
