Performing Urban Social Realities in Contemporary Kenya: A Reading of episodes of Vioja Mahakamani

ABSTRACT

This article examines class dynamics in Kenya’s urban cities using television theatre episodes that dramatise the interaction between marginalised and privileged citizens. In the main, the analysis in the article focuses on selected Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) television theatre texts. Through a critical examination of Siku ya kimataifa ya mtoto Mwafrika (The International Day of the African child), and Marehemu Ocholla (The late Ocholla), both episodes of Vioja Mahakamani (incidents/drama in the courtroom) aired on KBC, the paper postulates that the different social classes advanced in the texts represent the everyday struggles that sections of city dwellers grapple with partly because of their class positioning. In addition, the article holds that the marginalisation of a majority of urban dwellers, such as street children, predispose them to crime and other anti-social behaviour as the only means to survive in the city.

KEYWORDS:

• performance
• urban realities
• social classes
• crime
• delinquents
• poverty

Acknowledgements

This article is part of chapter three of my PhD thesis at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Notes on Contributor

Violet Nasambu Barasa is a lecturer in Literature with over 10 years' teaching experience. She is currently a lecturer at Christ the Teacher Institute for Education, Tangaza University College, Kenya.