BETRAYAL IN THE CITY - INTRODUCTION

The play ‘Betrayal in the City’ written by Francis Imbuga (1947 – 2012) is an allegory of problems faced by post independent African states. The play reveals how after independence the African leaders who were left to govern their countries got into conflict with their citizens because of their unpopular policies which they imposed on their citizens. The author of the play has revealed four types of citizens who lived in the country of Kafira. The first set includes characters who were satisfied with the dictatorial leadership of boss because they were the biggest gainers. These characters included government officials such as kabito, tumbo, Nicodemo and Mulili who believed in sycophancy so that they do not lose favour with the leader of Kafira. They do and say everything to gain their leader’s favour and in return they are rewarded for their loyalty. The second sets of characters are those who were opposed to their current leadership because of its dictatorial nature and policies which were not in the best of their interests. These characters band together and conspire to overthrow their government since it had run out of favour with its citizens. Some of the characters who were opposed to their leader faced injustices and oppression with some of them losing their lives while others are imprisoned and had to undergo a rehabilitation process before they could be released back into the public. The third set of characters are those who have lost hope and have accepted things the way they were. These characters dissuade those who were struggling to change Kafira’s leadership because they believed that their struggle would achieve nothing. The last set of characters includes those in government positions whose policies and development plans were retrogressive to their citizens. These characters use their positions to plunder their country resources and to enforce laws that were meant to silence their critics. These characters face opposition from their citizens and when the opportunity arises the citizens conspire to overthrow them.

As the title of the play suggests, several characters in the play are betrayed by their friends, families and by their leadership. Characters who betray others do so because of their self-preservation and survival. At the end of the play which acts as the climax of the play, the leader of Kafira is betrayed by his cousin who was his biggest supporter and sycophant. Other characters who were struggling to free themselves from the bondage of their leaders are also betrayed and are forced to change their principles so as to camouflage their intentions. Apart from the betrayal that characterises the plot of the play, there was also oppression and injustices against those who were against their leadership. Some of the injustices that the citizens of Kafira faced included imprisonment, murder, misuse of power, nepotism etc. the injustices and oppression that the citizens of Kafira faced forces some of them to seek revenge against their oppressors. The oppressors also sought revenge against those who had gone against their wishes and demand. To free themselves from the oppressors, some of the characters in the play conspire to overthrow their leader and during the rehearsal of the play that was to be acted for the visiting head of state they use the opportunity to act on their mission and to get revenge against one of their major oppressor by killing him bringing down the curtain of the play.