Kenya

I went to Kenya with my friend Rod in the summer of 2004. He was making a documentary on the play "I Will Marry When I Want" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. I was the camera man. The point of the work was to interview the villiage women who where the actors in the play. The play was performed in the early 1970s. The play wasn't overtly political. But it was Marxist and, largly because it was performed in Kikuyo rather than English, it was seen as subversive. The play was banned, the theater was torn down, and Ngugi was thrown in prison. Rod became friends with Ngugi's son, Mukoma wa Ngugi, while they were students in Boston.

This is the view from our hotel in Nairobi. A market is behind the tree.


Here's the market. This was an arts and craft market. It is considered a more tourist market, but I don't see that many tourists. White people walking around will be "befriended" by people eager to sell you stuff at Mzungu (white person) prices


market


Mutatu (public transport vans) staging ground. A no-more-people-than-seats rule was actually passed and enforced soon before our arrival. You could also rent a whole van out for the price of the 12 people they could carry. A very bargin taxi.


view from train to Mombassa


another train view


Mombassa


Mombassa


Mombassa


Indian influence in Mombassa


At the home


Mukoma wa Ngugi's Aunt's place


Rod stealing my camera. That was my job. But of course I couldn’t take any pictures of my holding the camera.


The actors of the play