Betrayal in the City

Imbuga lived in a century that saw a vast array of brutal African dictators whose corrupt actions stemmed from a desire to enrich themselves and to maintain power. His play illustrates that corruption can be hard to detect, since much of it happens during meetings, deals, and situations that the public will never hear of. Limiting access to information is an effective way to improve the odds of pursuing corrupt agendas without detection, even in countries where information flows freely. Kafira does not even enjoy the free flow of information. Imbuga suggests that it is as if the citizens must drink poison water simply because all of the water is poisoned. This will make them sick and miserable, but there is no way to opt out of a corrupt system while a dictator is in charge.