I Will Marry When I Want

Of course, as an unmarried African woman in her debut 30's, I was drawn to the provocative title, I Will Marry When I Want (1977), co-written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Ngũgĩ wa Mĩriĩ. I went in expecting exactly what the title promised, or at least what I hoped it promised. I was waiting to stumble upon doses of dramatic nuances on reclaiming romantic agency. Better yet, I was looking forward to a grandiose countdown to a rebellious wedding with a journey marked by societal defiance of the choice of a spouse. 

But our departed sage, Ngũgĩ, had none of that in mind. So my sincere apologies if you are here anticipating a generous serving of 'tea' about my own marital rebellion. Stay with me nonetheless; you might just walk away with insights far more unsettling and far more important than wedding bells. Though I am open to that happening soon too ;-)

Source: Halfpriced books

Instead of a love triangle, I was met with sharp critiques of power, neocolonialism, religion, class & economic exploitation. Sadly, no romantic manifesto for me to hang on to :-/. It was such a clever bait! Still, the lure was inviting for me as I am highly attuned to political themes. Set in post-independence Kenya, the play follows Kĩgũũnda and Wangeci, a poor peasant couple whose lives are disrupted by wealthy elites and missionaries who use religion, land ownership, and “development” as tools of control (Sell out: Their daughter is the one who says the words of the book title in passing).

I am blown away by the courage of Ngũgĩ & his mate in exposing how capitalism and Western influence deepen inequality while masking exploitation as progress. The play’s radical message led to Ngũgĩ’s detention without trial, cementing its place as a landmark text in African political literature and cultural activism. I identify with the radical message, as this blog is meant to fearlessly challenge hegemony and orthodox patterns of thought. Therefore, I am writing my thoughts triggered by global events, as the world quickly finds itself partially intimidated by the iron fist of imperialism.

Foreign Occupation & Plunder

During the dark days of colonial oppression, the imperialists invaded African countries, claiming to bring democracy, healthcare & faith masked as 'civilising missions'. Yet, in hindsight, while there were acclaimed gains, the goal was to make themselves rich. 

When the likes of Cecil Rhodes and his motley band of buccaneers came to the continent, they came looking for gold. When they did not find enough because it was buried too deep in the belly of the earth, they switched their attention to our land. They seized it from our chiefs at gunpoint, killed our resistance leaders and press-ganged us into becoming farm workers. A hut tax was imposed to force every able-bodied African man to go and work on the white farm lands and mines. Such a process can only be described as foreign occupation & plunder, both then and now.

It's 2026, yet proponents of neocolonialism still perpetuate the lie that (African) leaders do not have the plausible capacity to rule and govern their people in a civilised and just manner; that the 'global south' leaders are inherently greedy, dishonest and corrupt. The ultimate test of the success of this indoctrination is the efficacy with which it can brainwash a nation's citizenry into believing that they have no laudable history, resources and culture worth preserving & fighting for.

These same forces tactically support supremacy by glorifying minority white rule as necessary for the 'deliverance' of the 'global south' from their 'primitive barbarism'. Some even have the audacity to claim that the RECOLONIZATION of African Sovereign States is necessary to bring about sound administration of our natural resources, good governance and the rule of law. These attitudes are not surprising as they are tinged with the latent racism that afflicts so many liberals (in all of the Global North), including some who purport to be champions of the African cause.

Well, if they have gotten away with it for six centuries because the 'global south' were docile and compliant, why not keep trying, right?

 So, I cannot begrudge their delusions!

Reclaiming Agency 

As I hold up the mirror, like Ngũgĩ, the title’s defiance is less about choosing a spouse and more about taking back power. Who decides your life? Your labour? Your land? Your dignity? Your resources?

Is it the political class? The invisible powers that be? Yourself? God? These questions stare at us as we grapple with our commitment to freedom. Our generation is knee-deep in political awakening, class struggle, and revolutionary consciousness. To put it plainly, the world is deeply immersed in a period of intense political awareness and social change, where underlying inequalities are becoming impossible to ignore. The protests and legal mobilisations globally are evidence of the growing restlessness.

What worries me is that there are still Africans who are captive to the corrosive Western oppresive propaganda. They gain from living in the belly of the beast through diplomatic backing, aid, weapons, silence on human rights abuses, kickbacks, etc, while the majority remain excluded. In Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s framing, these individuals become a comprador elite, that is, African faces managing systems designed elsewhere. They are a privileged group often benefiting more from these foreign ties than from national growth and development. Colonialism may have ended formally, but its logic survives through local collaborators who label dissent as 'anti-development'. 

To these Judas Iscariots of our Nations

Our unsolicited advice to you is to educate yourselves on black consciousness and to assert self-reliance and psychological liberation from (neo)colonisation's dehumanising effects. Apart from Kenya's Ngũgĩ, find books by South Africa's Steve Biko, who said, "The first step to make the black man come to himself, to pump back life into his empty shell, to infuse him with pride and dignity, to remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused and therefore letting evil reign supreme in the country of his birth. This is what we mean by inward looking process. This is the definition of Black Consciousness". For this wisdom, Steve Biko was beaten to death by white police officers in a South African prison. 

Another author to sit with is Frantz Fanon. He asserts that we, the people, have sufficient intellectual independence from the dominant ideology of the colonial ruling class. We are ready & can revolt against the colonial status quo and so decolonise our nation. One of the essays included in The Wretched of the Earth is "On National Culture", in which Fanon highlights the necessity for each generation to discover its mission and fight for it.

African countries, now boasting of 6 decades & counting of having their lands back & [partial] independence, owe it to Biko & our beloved preceding freedom fighters by becoming booming, strong and most diversified economies in the globe. 

To our former Colonizers

In the words of Zimbabwe's Olley Maruma, "You wait and see!". 

Amandla! ✊🏾

References

Fanon, F. (1963). The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press.

Maruma, O. (2005). Shame on the Whole lot of You!. New African, (439), pg 5-6.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, & Ngũgĩ wa Mĩriĩ. (1977). I will marry when I want. Heinemann.