Theatre
Betrayal in the City
Francis Imbuga · 1976
Synopsis
In Kafira, an imaginary African country a few years after independence, Boss's regime governs through nepotism and fear. Doga and Nina, the parents of Adika, a student killed during a demonstration, want to perform the shaving ceremony at his grave, which the men in power, among them Mulili, Boss's cousin, refuse them. The academic Mosese is in prison, and the guard Jere gradually takes the side of the victims. Their other son, Jusper, is commissioned to write the play that will be performed before a visiting head of state.
Context
Published in 1976, the play was chosen to represent Kenya at the great pan-African arts festival held in Lagos the following year. It denounces the corruption, favouritism and state violence that follow independence, using the device of the play within the play. On the syllabus of schools in Kenya and the region, it ranks, with a play of 1988, among the author's most studied texts.
Who it is for
For those who like African political theatre and the satire of the powers born of independence.
Prizes and reception
Chosen for the Pan-African festival in Lagos and included in school curricula, it is its author's flagship play.
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