Summary

Two and a half years have passed since the strike, and the situation in Kenya has disintegrated. A government official looks out to Nairobi and debates with himself about whether or not the problems could have been foreseen. People on the street exchange news of the broad daylight murder of a Chief, and gather at night to listen to the radio for further news. A group of the independence movement leaders, including Jomo, have been arrested. This upsets Njoroge, who dreamed of getting to see Jomo in person.

Analysis

The interlude is a brief section of the book, dedicated to marking the passage of time, the increase in violence in Kenyan society, and the fall of Jomo into the hands of the government authorities. It explores the prevalence of the impact of these changes, taking the perspectives of random people on the street and...