‘When Good People Do Something’: An Alternative, Decentred Discourse on Political Consciousness in Imbuga’s The Return of Mgofu

Abstract

This study employs postcolonial literary theory, particularly the exploration of Bhabha’s third space of cultural enunciation, an alternative political discourse which reifies neither the Orient nor the Occident. It aims at restoring socio-political dignity and promoting a nationally conscious discourse that subverts Western and colonial intentions – a decentred one – as represented in Francis Imbuga’s The Return of Mgofu. Using Bhaha’s theoretical lens in the analysis of Imbuga’s play, this study disrupts fixed political discourse that places emphasis on colonialism as the genesis of challenges in contemporary African societies, specifically Kenya. This paper concludes that the play considers this emphasis misguided and advocates for a paradigm shift. The playwright suggests that post-independence nations should not use colonial history as an excuse for political instability. They must face their challenges directly and find practical solutions for the greater good of their countries. The traditional narrative of colonial oppression is no longer relevant; it serves as an escapist strategy. There is a need for an alternative discourse that places the colonised at the centre.