Why did Ngugi wa Thiong'o begin writing plays in Kikuyu?

Ngugi wa Thiong'o began writing plays in his native Kikuyu because he came to view the English language as a tool that "colonized the mind". By shifting to an indigenous language, he sought to provide an authentic voice for Africans and challenge the cultural and political legacies of colonialism.12

This transition was central to his work with the Kamiriithu Arts Centre, where he collaborated with local agricultural workers to create plays like Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want). By writing in Kikuyu and incorporating traditional song and dance, Ngugi aimed to articulate protests against the perceived betrayal of workers by local landowners and politicians. He later formalized his stance in his book Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature, arguing that literature written in African languages is essential for true cultural decolonization.12