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Kimathi MA Thesis.pdf (1.39 MB)

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An Echo to a People's Culture: Ken Walibora's Kidagaa Kimemwozea as a Representation of the Kenyan Socio-Political Environment

Muthee, Martin Kimathi, Muthee
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1494864795378801

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Popular Culture.
Kenya boasts of its high production of popular culture materials. Music, TV shows, movies, popular fiction and now, in this social media age, memes, GIFs and short video clips. All these are tailored to respond to the prevailing social, economic and political conditions in the country. While they are mostly humorous and entertaining, the primary goal of many of these popular culture artefacts is to critique contemporary Kenya. Despite its consumption though, popular culture has remained highly undervalued and unappreciated as a tool for cultural, social and political transformation. Many Kenyans consume popular culture texts solely for entertainment purposes. Popular fiction, since it is studied and examined in Kenya’s exam-oriented schools, is arguably the only form of popular culture that is seen as a means to an end – passing one’s exams. This end however, is hardly what authors usually have in mind when they produce the texts, considering their contents. This thesis examines Kidagaa Kimemwozea, a Swahili novel by Ken Walibora, as a representation and critique of postcolonial Kenya’s social, cultural and political situation. Exploring the political leadership of postcolonial Kenya, class dynamics and relations as well as gender issues, I argue that Walibora’s novel does not only expose the Kenyan bourgeoisie’s cunningness in their oppression of the proletarians and the male ruse to dominate their female counterparts, but it also proposes excellent paths of emancipation for the proletarians and women, and should thus be given scholarly attention.
Jeremy Wallach, Dr. (Advisor)
Esther Clinton, Dr. (Committee Member)
Kristen Rudisill, Dr. (Committee Member)
101 p.
African Literature; Literature
Kidagaa Kimemwozea; Kenya; postcolonial; bourgeoisie; proletarian; Wanjiku; language; State Apparatuses; Amani; Imani; Althusser; popular literature; feminism; Ken Walibora; popular culture; East Africa; class conflict

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Muthee, Muthee, M. K. (2017). An Echo to a People's Culture: Ken Walibora's Kidagaa Kimemwozea as a Representation of the Kenyan Socio-Political Environment [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1494864795378801

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Muthee, Muthee, Martin. An Echo to a People's Culture: Ken Walibora's Kidagaa Kimemwozea as a Representation of the Kenyan Socio-Political Environment . 2017. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1494864795378801.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Muthee, Muthee, Martin. "An Echo to a People's Culture: Ken Walibora's Kidagaa Kimemwozea as a Representation of the Kenyan Socio-Political Environment ." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1494864795378801

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1494864795378801
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.