As his title indicates, Mazrui deals with the cultural politics of translation in East Africa, a topic that is to be welcomed because translation in Africa has not been at the forefront of research in translation studies. In the introduction, he sets out this agenda, in particular indicating that translation is to be considered as a factor in the modernization of East Africa. The topic is highly relevant and timely as far as the growth of translation studies in Africa is concerned. In particular, the political dimension that Mazrui adds to the cultural dimension points at a development in the conceptualization of translation in cultural translation studies, with the political viewpoint enriching translation studies beyond a mere cultural interest.