Summary

The scene opens in Kiguunda’s house, where he, Wangeci, Gicaamba, and Njooki are engaged in an intense discussion about Kioi’s visit. Gicaamba is skeptical that Kioi wants Kiguunda and Wangeci to have a church wedding so that John Muhuuni can marry Gathoni; he and Njooki remain confident that “the rich never marry from the poor” (57). He embarks on another tirade about the evil of the elite and how they employ religion to distract the poor and take advantage of them. Njooki then joins him in a song about the supposed power of God to take care of everyone’s problems.

Gicaamba and Njooki also recall the days of their struggle for independence, when religious leaders told them to surrender. They tell the story of one particular patriot whom religious leaders tried to force to turn on his fellow revolutionaries, expressing admiration...