Books I WILL MARRY WHEN I WANT BY Ngũgĩ wa Mirii & Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

"I Will Marry When I Want" is a politically powerful play co-written by Ngũgĩ wa Mirii and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, first performed in 1977 at the Kamiriithu Cultural Centre in Kenya. The play criticizes post-independence Kenya's social and political realities, exposing the betrayal of the masses’ aspirations by the new African leadership after colonialism. Rather than experiencing true freedom, people face continued exploitation under a new elite aligned with foreign capitalist interests.

The story centers around characters like Kiguunda, a poor farmer clinging to his one-and-a-half-acre land title deed, his wife Wangeci, and other figures such as the wealthy Kioi and his wife Jezebel. Through their interactions, the play highlights the harsh effects of capitalism, corruption, poverty, and social inequality in postcolonial Kenya. Themes include the struggle over land, economic oppression, hypocrisy in religion, the breakdown of traditional values, and the commodification of women.

"I Will Marry When I Want" is also notable for its use of songs, proverbs, and dramatic dialogue in Kikuyu, making it both a cultural and revolutionary work. Its stark critique led to its banning and the detention of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, as the government feared it could inspire revolutionary resistance.

The play condemns the postcolonial bourgeoisie’s greed and exposes how women's status deteriorated despite their contributions to liberation struggles. Marriage and family relationships are portrayed as distorted by capitalist and property dynamics rather than genuine human connection.