I Will Marry When I Want Summary
Ngugi wa Mirii and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

I Will Marry When I Want Overview

Set in post-independence Kenya, I Will Marry When I Want as an account of the continued divisions between workers, elites, and foreigners in the postcolonial era, focusing particularly on the struggles of poor workers. The play revolves around the experience of Kiguunda, a farm laborer, and his attempts to remain independent and also provide a better life for his daughter through marriage to an elite. In their account of Kiguunda’s story, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Ngugi wa Mirii tackle themes of class struggle, poverty, religion, family, and above all, independence.