From a colonial-era upbringing to coming of age in a time when newly independent Kenya was moving quickly to establish itself as a liberated nation, Sitawa Namwalie remembers an elusive vision of her identity. Central to her cultural misplacement was the submission of her maternal language to the imported and dominant English language. Namwalie discovers herself again through the work of fellow writer and cultural figure Ngugi wa Thiong’o. This Kenyan author’s choice to write in Gikuyu inspir...read more
From a colonial-era upbringing to coming of age in a time when newly independent Kenya was moving quickly to establish itself as a liberated nation, Sitawa Namwalie remembers an elusive vision of her identity. Central to her cultural misplacement was the submission of her maternal language to the imported and dominant English language. Namwalie discovers herself again through the work of fellow writer and cultural figure Ngugi wa Thiong’o. This Kenyan author’s choice to write in Gikuyu inspired Namwalie to reflect on the importance of carving a cultural niche with language, and on the role of choice in deciding to do it.
