(Lights rise slowly on a crowded market. The stage is alive. Women selling vegetables. Children running. Roasting maize smoke drifting. Bodabodas revving loudly. A broken loudspeaker hanging from a wooden pole blasts distorted gospel music. The atmosphere is noisy but exhausted. Life continues because it must. Nyina wa Wanja arranges tomatoes carefully. Kamau lounges nearby scrolling through his cracked smartphone.)
Nyina wa Wanja: Kamau. Since morning you have been sitting there like government promises.
Kamau: I am monitoring Lari affairs.
Nyina wa Wanja: On TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, X?
Kamau: Yaah Mama. Modern leadership requires research.
Nyina wa Wanja: Research? Your mother sent you to buy cabbage two hours ago.
Kamau: The economy delayed me.
(Laughter from nearby traders.)
Nyina wa Wanja: Your generation has degrees but no direction.
Kamau: And your generation had direction but voted badly. It gave birth to the leadership we have.
(The traders react loudly.)
Wanjiku wa Ndunyu: Eh! This boy wants trouble today!
Kamau: Am I lying? Every election; they distribute flour, you sing, you dance, you ululate, then after voting you begin suffering artistically.
(Laughter.)
Nyina wa Wanja: At least we suffer for our action. You youths suffer while recording outcomes of our action.
Kamau: Because jobs disappeared. What do you expect us to do? University graduates are selling boiled eggs. Diploma holders are becoming online political prophets. Engineers are riding motorcycles. The country is producing certificates faster than opportunities.
Muthee Karanja: (entering): And politicians are producing speeches faster than development.
(General laughter.)
Nyina wa Wanja: Muthee Karanja! You are late today.
Muthee Karanja: My stomach and the economy are no longer cooperating. (He examines tomatoes.) These tomatoes look more expensive than parliamentarians.
Nyina wa Wanja: Everything is expensive now. Cooking oil. Sugar. School fees. Bus fare. Even sleeping is becoming difficult for ordinary people.
Muthee Karanja: Bad leadership has levels. Poor people steal hunger. Rich people steal budgets.
(Laughter.)
Kamau: Muthee, tell us honestly. Who are you supporting this election?
Muthee Karanja: Who is distributing something like unga?
Kamau: You see? That is exactly the problem!
Muthee Karanja: Young man…principles are important. But principles do not cook ugali.
(Silence.)
Kamau: So we should keep auctioning our lives for food?
Muthee Karanja: No. But hungry people negotiate differently from full people. That is reality.
(A Woman carrying kíondo on his back joins conversation.)
Kíondo Woman: Last election they promised us; roads, jobs, water, hospitals. Now look. Even the dispensary has become a museum.
Nyina wa Wanja: The only thing growing in Lari is speeches and promises.
Kamau: And churches.
Muthee Karanja: Careful. Pastors are now politically connected. They preach the message of the hour; politics.
Kamau: Exactly! During elections every politician suddenly becomes born again. They donate chairs. Buy microphones. Build churches. Quote Bible verses. Then disappear immediately after swearing-in.
Kíondo Woman: Because churches have become campaign podiums with cheap voters.
(Laughter. A young boy runs through market shouting excitedly.)
Boy: Mungai is coming! Mungai is coming!
(Immediate energy shift. Traders stand. Youth gathers in groups. Women adjust clothes. Bodaboda riders rush toward petrol station.)
Kamau: Ah! Now watch democracy become entertainment.
Nyina wa Wanja: No. Watch hunger become excitement.
Nyina wa Wanja: Kamau. Since morning you have been sitting there like government promises.
Kamau: I am monitoring Lari affairs.
Nyina wa Wanja: On TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, X?
Kamau: Yaah Mama. Modern leadership requires research.
Nyina wa Wanja: Research? Your mother sent you to buy cabbage two hours ago.
Kamau: The economy delayed me.
(Laughter from nearby traders.)
Nyina wa Wanja: Your generation has degrees but no direction.
Kamau: And your generation had direction but voted badly. It gave birth to the leadership we have.
(The traders react loudly.)
Wanjiku wa Ndunyu: Eh! This boy wants trouble today!
Kamau: Am I lying? Every election; they distribute flour, you sing, you dance, you ululate, then after voting you begin suffering artistically.
(Laughter.)
Nyina wa Wanja: At least we suffer for our action. You youths suffer while recording outcomes of our action.
Kamau: Because jobs disappeared. What do you expect us to do? University graduates are selling boiled eggs. Diploma holders are becoming online political prophets. Engineers are riding motorcycles. The country is producing certificates faster than opportunities.
Muthee Karanja: (entering): And politicians are producing speeches faster than development.
(General laughter.)
Nyina wa Wanja: Muthee Karanja! You are late today.
Muthee Karanja: My stomach and the economy are no longer cooperating. (He examines tomatoes.) These tomatoes look more expensive than parliamentarians.
Nyina wa Wanja: Everything is expensive now. Cooking oil. Sugar. School fees. Bus fare. Even sleeping is becoming difficult for ordinary people.
Muthee Karanja: Bad leadership has levels. Poor people steal hunger. Rich people steal budgets.
(Laughter.)
Kamau: Muthee, tell us honestly. Who are you supporting this election?
Muthee Karanja: Who is distributing something like unga?
Kamau: You see? That is exactly the problem!
Muthee Karanja: Young man…principles are important. But principles do not cook ugali.
(Silence.)
Kamau: So we should keep auctioning our lives for food?
Muthee Karanja: No. But hungry people negotiate differently from full people. That is reality.
(A Woman carrying kíondo on his back joins conversation.)
Kíondo Woman: Last election they promised us; roads, jobs, water, hospitals. Now look. Even the dispensary has become a museum.
Nyina wa Wanja: The only thing growing in Lari is speeches and promises.
Kamau: And churches.
Muthee Karanja: Careful. Pastors are now politically connected. They preach the message of the hour; politics.
Kamau: Exactly! During elections every politician suddenly becomes born again. They donate chairs. Buy microphones. Build churches. Quote Bible verses. Then disappear immediately after swearing-in.
Kíondo Woman: Because churches have become campaign podiums with cheap voters.
(Laughter. A young boy runs through market shouting excitedly.)
Boy: Mungai is coming! Mungai is coming!
(Immediate energy shift. Traders stand. Youth gathers in groups. Women adjust clothes. Bodaboda riders rush toward petrol station.)
Kamau: Ah! Now watch democracy become entertainment.
Nyina wa Wanja: No. Watch hunger become excitement.
