A Grain of Wheat

by

Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Mbugua is Kihika, Kariuki, and Mumbi’s father and Wanjiku’s husband. Mbugua does not play a large role in the story, though he is described as saddened by Kihika’s decision to go and fight despite the fact that Mbugua was a great warrior himself in his youth. After Kihika dies and is publicly hung from a tree, Mbugua urinates on himself when he sees the mangled, tortured body of his son, a tragic depiction of a parent’s pain at the loss of their child to a bloody cause.
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Mbugua Character Timeline in A Grain of Wheat

The timeline below shows where the character Mbugua appears in A Grain of Wheat. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
The Individual vs. the Community Theme Icon
Mumbi is raised by her mother Wanjiku and father Mbugua, along with her two brothers Kihika and Kariuki. Young men often come to visit Mumbi... (full context)
Colonialism Theme Icon
Christianity Theme Icon
Rev. Jackson is Mbugua’s friend, a Gikuyu Christian preacher who likes to visit people in their homes and offer... (full context)
Chapter 9
Colonialism Theme Icon
When Kihika is killed, Mumbi’s family is crushed—even Mbugua, a legendary warrior, “urinated on his legs.” Not long after come the events of the... (full context)
Chapter 13
Gender and Power Theme Icon
Mumbi suffers when she returns to her parents—Mbugua is angry at her for abandoning her husband over a mere beating, though Wanjiku is... (full context)