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Running with Lions is a remarkable story! Dr. Kamau is a tireless advocate for education and equity, among other causes. Kamau established Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP), a nonprofit that helps African women scientists to pursue graduate degrees in the US, and is the host of Never Again, the podcast of the Coalition Against Global Genocide.
Dr. Kamau champions education and equity, supporting African women in STEM and serving on boards to expand minority access to science. His philosophy is rooted in openness, inquiry, and service—striving for a more humane world through healing and storytelling. As a Health Equity Leader, he continues to inspire with a vision of unity and the power of diverse voices
Born in Kenya and trained in Spain, Pius Kamau has been in surgical practice in the Denver area for three decades. He was a columnist for The Rocky Mountain News and has written for The Denver Post. Kamau’s commentaries have also been featured on NPR, in the Huffington Post and other national magazines and newspapers. He’s also contributed to several books and recently finished his memoir.
"A perceptive psychological exploration of the impact of racism and colonization."
-Donna Bryson, author of It's a Black-White Thing and Home of the Brave
As a boy in colonial Kenya, Pius Kamau learns early what it means to run with lions-both the metaphorical powers that stalk his people and the real leopard he encounters alone in the forest, the first of many times he will stand eye-to-eye with death.
Born under British rule and hardened by the unspeakable violence of the Mau Mau Rebellion, Pius grows up where curable illnesses claim loved ones and hope feels scarce. Inspired by his tubercular father, he dares to believe education can be his escape. He flees on foot toward Sudan in search of schooling but is arrested and sent back. He refuses to surrender. A scholarship to Strathmore College in Nairobi leads to medical studies in Spain, where Europe's art, philosophy, and culture widen his world even as he confronts the contradictions of colonialism.
Returning to an independent Kenya as a doctor, Pius discovers oppression has simply changed hands. This powerful memoir traces his journey from dirt-poor village boy to physician and eventually to surgeon, proving resilience, intellect, and courage know no color or border.
About the Author
Pius K. Kamau, MD, thoracic surgeon and author, has written for HuffPost, Denver's Dailies, and the Denver Gazette. He's been published in NPR's This I believe, Marlo Thomas's The Right Word at the Right Time, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book, and Medical Business. He also penned the mystery novel Doctor's Date with Death. Kamau established Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP), a nonprofit that helps African women scientists to pursue graduate degrees in the US, and is the host of Never Again, the podcast of the Coalition Against Global Genocide.
Publisher : Koehler Books
Publication date : July 14, 2026
by Pius K Kamau MD (Author)
Here's a link to just some of his pieces from NPR News/ KUNC
From colonial Kenya to Colorado: Local surgeon and humanitarian recalls 'running with lions' in powerful new memoir
DENVER, CO., July 14, 2026—Thoracic surgeon, author, and humanitarian Dr. Pius Kamau has released his newest book with Koehler Books. His powerful memoir tells the extraordinary true story of his journey from a small village in colonial Kenya to a career as a physician and surgeon in the United States.
Growing up during British colonial rule and the violence of the Mau Mau Rebellion, Kamau witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of poverty, disease, and political oppression. Determined to pursue an education despite overwhelming obstacles, he fled his village in search of schooling, even enduring imprisonment before ultimately studying medicine in Spain and going on to become a respected thoracic surgeon.
When asked about how he’s scaled these seemingly insurmountable barriers, he says, “My life may have been full of deep valleys of despair and seeming loss, but it too was a life full of kind people, full of generous men and women. I believe that I did well because I allowed charity and kindness to shine on my dark days and nights. And in addition to my persistence and resilience I kept hope alive. I still keep hope alive.”
The memoir explores themes of perseverance, faith, and the enduring pursuit of justice. Through deeply personal stories—including surviving encounters with wild predators, political violence, and life-threatening hardship—Kamau reflects on the experiences that shaped both his character and his calling to medicine.
In addition to his work as a thoracic surgeon, Kamau is an accomplished author whose writing has appeared in HuffPost, The Denver Gazette, NPR's This I Believe, Chicken Soup for the Soul of the Cancer Patient, and other national publications. He is also the founder of Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP), a nonprofit that helps African women scientists pursue graduate education in the United States, and hosts Never Again, the podcast of the Coalition Against Global Genocide.
Kamau's memoir offers readers an intimate look at one man's determination to overcome extraordinary adversity while illuminating the lasting impact of colonialism, the transformative power of education, and the resilience of the human spirit.
For more information about Dr. Pius Kamau and his new book, visit koehlerbooks.com.
ABOUT PIUS KAMAU, MD
Pius Kamau, MD, thoracic surgeon and author, has written for Huffpost, Denver’s Dailies, and the Denver Gazette. He’s been published in NPR’s This I believe, Marlo Thomas’s The Right Word at the Right Time, Chicken Soup of the Soul of the Cancer Patient, and Medical Business. He also penned the mystery novel Doctor’s Date with Death. Kamau established Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP), a nonprofit that helps African women scientists to pursue graduate degrees in the US, and is the host of Never Again, the podcast of the Coalition Against Global Genocide.
From colonial Kenya to Colorado: Local surgeon and humanitarian recalls 'running with lions' in powerful new memoir
DENVER, CO., July 14, 2026—Thoracic surgeon, author, and humanitarian Dr. Pius Kamau has released his newest book with Koehler Books. His powerful memoir tells the extraordinary true story of his journey from a small village in colonial Kenya to a career as a physician and surgeon in the United States.
Growing up during British colonial rule and the violence of the Mau Mau Rebellion, Kamau witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of poverty, disease, and political oppression. Determined to pursue an education despite overwhelming obstacles, he fled his village in search of schooling, even enduring imprisonment before ultimately studying medicine in Spain and going on to become a respected thoracic surgeon.
When asked about how he’s scaled these seemingly insurmountable barriers, he says, “My life may have been full of deep valleys of despair and seeming loss, but it too was a life full of kind people, full of generous men and women. I believe that I did well because I allowed charity and kindness to shine on my dark days and nights. And in addition to my persistence and resilience I kept hope alive. I still keep hope alive.”
The memoir explores themes of perseverance, faith, and the enduring pursuit of justice. Through deeply personal stories—including surviving encounters with wild predators, political violence, and life-threatening hardship—Kamau reflects on the experiences that shaped both his character and his calling to medicine.
In addition to his work as a thoracic surgeon, Kamau is an accomplished author whose writing has appeared in HuffPost, The Denver Gazette, NPR's This I Believe, Chicken Soup for the Soul of the Cancer Patient, and other national publications. He is also the founder of Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP), a nonprofit that helps African women scientists pursue graduate education in the United States, and hosts Never Again, the podcast of the Coalition Against Global Genocide.
Kamau's memoir offers readers an intimate look at one man's determination to overcome extraordinary adversity while illuminating the lasting impact of colonialism, the transformative power of education, and the resilience of the human spirit.
For more information about Dr. Pius Kamau and his new book, visit koehlerbooks.com.
ABOUT PIUS KAMAU, MD
Pius Kamau, MD, thoracic surgeon and author, has written for Huffpost, Denver’s Dailies, and the Denver Gazette. He’s been published in NPR’s This I believe, Marlo Thomas’s The Right Word at the Right Time, Chicken Soup of the Soul of the Cancer Patient, and Medical Business. He also penned the mystery novel Doctor’s Date with Death. Kamau established Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP), a nonprofit that helps African women scientists to pursue graduate degrees in the US, and is the host of Never Again, the podcast of the Coalition Against Global Genocide.
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