Women’s Literature in Kenya and Uganda - The Trouble with Modernity

Oct 22, 2026

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Women’s Literature in Kenya and Uganda explores how Kenyan and Ugandan women writers negotiate “modernity” and its changing forms. The study frames modern political and cultural logics through promise and fraud, contrasting power, poetics, and competing ideas of the future postcolony. It also examines historical modernities, moral indifference, global modernities tied to AIDS, and the ethics of responsibility through close readings of works by authors such as Margaret Ogola, Jane Kaberuka, and Yvonne Owuor.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages273

Reading Time7 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Kenyan and Ugandan (Women’s) Literature: The Trouble with Modernity

1 Promise and Fraud: The Politics and Poetics of the Modern

The Power of One: Western, Male, and Modern

Meanwhile in the Future Postcolony

From Ambiguity to Orthodoxy and Back

The Return of the Plural and the Emergence of the Local: Alternative Modernities

2 Historical Modernities: Epics of Love and Literacy

Faith in Reason: Margaret Ogola’s The River and the Source

The Logic of Sacrifice: Jane Kaberuka’s Silent Patience

The Cycle of Disruption: Mary Okurut’s The Invisible Weevil

3 The Dark Sides of Modernity

Citizens, Strangers, and the Production of Moral Indifference

Utopian Nations and Dystopian Ghettos

Royal Desire and Fratricidal Wars

The State’s Bloated Belly and the Power of the Occult

4 Mapping Global Modernities

Property and Propriety in the Time of AIDS

The Ethics of Prosperity

The Cultural Production of Propriety

The Pleasure of Disciplined Sex

In Lieu of a Conclusion

Women’s Literature in Kenya and Uganda This page intentionally left blank Women’s Literature in Kenya and Uganda The Trouble with Modernity Marie Kruger ’ WOMEN S LITERATURE IN KENYA AND UGANDA Copyright © Marie Kruger, 2011. All rights reserved. First published in 2011 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States—a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN: 978–0–230–10887–5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Krüger, Marie. Women’s literature in Kenya and Uganda: the trouble with modernity / Marie Kruger. [p. cm](p. cm). Includes index. ISBN 978-0-230-10887-5 (alk. paper) 1. Kenyan literature—Women authors—History and criticism. 2. Ugandan literature—Women authors—History and criticism. 3. Women and literature—Africa. 4. Civilization, Modern, in literature. 5. Postcolonialism in literature. I. Title. PL8014 .K4K78 2010 809'.892827—dc22 2010025785 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Scribe Inc. First edition: January 2011 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America. For the Writers Ugandan women writers outside the FEMRITE office (November 2, 2002) . Front row, from right to left: Beatrice Lamwaka; Mildred Kiconco Barya; Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva; Monica Arac de Nyeko; Jackee Batanda; Middle row: Lilian Tindyebwa; Goretti Kyomuhendo; Ayeta Anne Wangusa; Glaydah Namukasa; Philo Nabweru; Jemeo Nanyonjo; Goretti Bukombi. Last row: Unidentified visitor; Winnie Rukidi; Rose Rwakasisi; Florence Ebila; unidentified FEMRITE member. Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction Kenyan and Ugandan (Women’s) Literature: The Trouble with Modernity 1 1 Promise and Fraud: The Politics and Poetics ofthe Modern 21 The Power of One: Western, Male, and Modern 21 Meanwhile in the Future Postcolony: From Ambiguity to Orthodoxy and Back 32 The Return of the Plural and the Emergence of the Local: Alternative Modernities 42 2 Historical Modernities: Epics of Love and Literacy 51 Faith in Reason: Margaret Ogola’s The River and the Source 56 The Logic of Sacrifice: Jane Kaberuka’s Silent Patience 70 The Cycle of Disruption: Mary Okurut’s The Invisible Weevil 83 3 The Dark Sides of Modernity: Citizens, Strangers, and the Production of Moral Indifference 101 Utopian Nations and Dystopian Ghettos: Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye’s A Farm Called Kishinev 107 Royal Desire and Fratricidal Wars: Yvonne Owuor’s “Weight of Whispers” 117 The State’s Bloated Belly and the Power of the Occult: Goretti Kyomuhendo’s Waiting 129 4 Mapping Global Modernities: Property and Propriety in the Time of AIDS 149 The Ethics of Prosperity: Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye’s Chira 154 viii contents The Cultural Production of Propriety: Carolyne Adalla’s Confessions of an AIDS Victim 167 The Pleasure of Disciplined Sex: Hope Keshubi’s To a Young Woman 179 In Lieu of a Conclusion: “The State of Tides” and the Ethics of Responsibility 197 Notes 213 Works Cited 237 Index 251 Acknowledgments Without the writers, this book would not have been possible. Besides authoring the texts on which this study is based, their generous support in Nairobi, Kampala, and various other geographical locations provided the inspiration for a book-length examination of Kenyan and Ugandan women’s writing. With great gratitude, I acknowledge the guidance offered by Wanjiku Kabira, Yvonne Owuor, and Sh

FAQs

What is the central theme of the book?

The book centers on “The Trouble with Modernity” in Kenyan and Ugandan women’s writing, examining how modernity shapes politics, culture, ethics, and literary expression.

How does the book structure its analysis across chapters?

It progresses through sections that address promise and fraud, historical modernities, the dark sides of modernity, and mapping global modernities, each supported by readings of specific authors’ works.

Which kinds of issues are discussed in relation to modernity?

The text highlights competing notions of the modern and future, moral indifference and citizenship, and the ethical implications of global conditions such as AIDS.

Oct 22, 2026

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