Njuguna Character Analysis

A traditional farmer and one of Ilmorog’s elders, Njuguna often speaks up in favor of wrongheaded conservative ideas. For example, Njuguna and his other elderly farmer friends have a conversation suggesting that Ilmorog’s drought is occurring because God is angry at humanity’s arrogant technological advancements, specifically the moon landing. When Karega suggests a delegation to seek aid for Ilmorog’s drought, Njuguna argues it’s beneath the town’s dignity to journey somewhere to get help and suggests the MP Nderi wa Riera should come to them instead—something that is clearly not going to happen. Eventually, Njuguna does join the delegation. When Wanja’s sexual abuser Kimeria detains her, Njuguna, and Karega on the way—refusing to let them go until Wanja has sex with him—Njuguna argues that Wanja should submit to Kimeria’s advances. He furthermore suggests that because Kimeria and Wanja have had previous sexual contact, Wanja is something like Kimeria’s wife and, by implication, the situation is something like her fault. Njuguna’s character adds nuance to the novel’s criticism of colonialism and capitalism’s destruction of Kenyan culture; while the novel clearly believes that the destruction of Kenyan culture is bad, its implicit criticism of the elderly, conservative, sexist Njuguna also suggests that Kenyan culture should be open to change and development, especially better technology and more gender equality.