Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Kenya's most celebrated novelist, was detained without trial at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison from December 31, 1977, to December 12, 1978. His detention followed the staging of his play "Ngaahika Ndeenda" (I Will Marry When I Want), which was performed in Gikuyu at the Kamiriithu Community Education and Cultural Centre. The play criticized neocolonialism, class exploitation, and the Kenyatta regime's betrayal of independence ideals. Authorities shut down the production and subsequently detained Ngugi. While imprisoned, he wrote his novel "Devil on the Cross" on toilet paper, composing in Gikuyu to reach ordinary Kenyans. His detention drew international condemnation and made him a symbol of resistance against authoritarian censorship. After his release, he faced continued harassment and went into exile in 1982 following an alleged assassination plot. He has lived in the United States since, continuing his literary and activist work.
See Also
Ngugi wa Thiong'o Literature Political Patronage Kenyatta Era Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Sources
- wa Thiong'o, Ngugi. 'Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary.' Heinemann, 1981.
- wa Thiong'o, Ngugi. 'Wrestling with the Devil.' The New Press, 2018.
- Gikandi, Simon. 'Ngugi wa Thiong'o.' Cambridge University Press, 2000.