Strong characters help to pass on message in ‘Betrayal in the City’

Sometimes, the author uses the characters to voice his concerns in the play Betrayal in the City. Some of the characters that play a significant role include Mosese, Jere and Jusper.

This article will explore Jusper and a sample question.

Jusper is the son of Doga and Nina, and a brother of Adika. He is a university student and is among those who are agitating for a better Kafira.

He is brave and courageous. He is not intimated or cowed and he expresses himself without fear. Despite the warnings from the government, he moves around with the red gown as a way of protesting. Regina, his girlfriend, tries to persuade him to stop wearing it but he is adamant. When he meets Tumbo at Regina’s house, he speaks his mind about what he thinks of the government without fearing.

He is vengeful. When he learns that Chagaga has a hand in the death of Adika, he kills him. He also avenges the death his parents by killing Mulili during the rehearsal, saying that he did it for Kafira.

He is intelligent and scheming. He is a talented writer, who writes plays. He writes the play and gives it a very relevant title ‘Betrayal in the City’. He, together with Mosese and Jere, use their wits to settle scores with the government and, in the process, save the country from the dictatorial and corrupt regime.

He is bold and candid. He tells Tumbo that he has written plays but none of them has been published because the pulishers say that it is dangerous to publish them because… "your truth is too much in the nude." They wanted him to dress up the truth, give a little more padding so that only a few would recognise it. This shows that Jusper is not afraid to point out the problems that are affecting the country regardless of who it rubs the wrong way.

SAMPLE QUESTION

"Human beings will always pay for the crimes they commit." Drawing your illustrations from Francis Imbuga’s Betrayal in the City, write an essay in support of this assertion.

In life, people commit atrocities and do wrong to others without knowing that sooner or later, they will pay for them. In the play Betrayal in the City, those who have done evil have eventually paid for it.

Boss, the leader of Kafira, rules with an iron fist and makes his subjects go through untold suffering. He misappropriates the country's resources by stealing from the citizens and banking the money in foreign accounts at the expense of the country’s economic development. He also dictates upon the subjects and denies them freedom of expression. This is seen when Adika, a university student, is gunned down during a demonstration and Doga and Nina are killed in cold blood when they insist on performing a shaving ceremony. He practices nepotism and corruption when he appoints incompetent officials like Mulili and Tumbo so that they can be his eyes and ears. He pays for his crimes when Jusper, Mosese and Jere stage a coup and overthrow his government during the rehearsal of the play meant to entertain a visiting Head of State.

Tumbo, a government official, is corrupt and incompetent. He embezzles the funds meant for a play writing competition and declares Jusper the winner without conducting the completion.

He also admits having acquired his property and his position through corruption. He says that Boss’ advisers are misleading him but he does nothing because he fears losing his position and property.

His incompetence gets back to him when he fails to follow up on the play, which is used to stage a coup that makes him lose his job.

Mulili is another government official who commits a number of crimes including killing people like the old couple and Kabito in cold blood. He also uses his position and his relationship with Boss to intimidate people and get what he wants.

He snatches away the milk tender from Kabito and brags about it. He abuses and threatens the old couple and denies them their right to conduct the shaving ceremony for their slain son.

He betrays Boss, who had put all his trust him. when the coup is staged, he receives a dose of his own medicine when he is shot by Jusper.

Kabito is also a government official who enjoys the privileges that comes with leadership. He is a member of the committee that is planning for the entertainment of the visiting Head of State.

Just like the other officials, he is corrupt and suggests that they should meet every day until the visitor arrives and after the visit for the purpose of review. This is to ensure that they continue getting the ‘potato’. When he picks a quarrel with Mulili during the meeting, he (Mulili) eliminates him they go for a break.

The above characters have committed crimes which they have eventually paid for.

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The writer is a teacher at Alliance Girls High School. [email protected]