I Will Marry When I Want

A fantastic play from Ngugi and Kamiriithu, the group who put the play on. Ngugi talks of this play in 'Decolonising the Mind' and 'Detained,' his prison diary that he wrote after being incarcerated for a year due to his involvement with writing the play. After reading it, it is understandable why the Kenyan government felt threatened by it - it talks candidly about neocolonialism, is filled with Gikuyu songs and proverbs, and chants the message of the famous Mau Mau rebellion. In short, it is a reminder for and by the people that Kenya IS the people and will never be anything less.

This is a wonderful play and as a reader feel lucky to have been able to share the insights offered through story since it is designed to be performed. The play tells of the time not too long after Kenya claimed its inderpendence. The play eludes the struggles the people of Africa continued to have and the remaining hold European imperialism remainingly has on their culture, their people, and their lives. Very insightful, written in black and white, very little interpretation needed. A must read.