INHERITANCE STUDY NOTES: A guide for KCSE candidates.

INHERITANCE NOTES DAVID MULWA

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO INHERITANCE BY DAVID MULWA

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Inheritance is a play by David Mulwa set in the fictional Kutula republic. The main issues tackled in the play include:

·                    Misuse of power

·                    oppression

·                    exploitation

·                    imperialism

·                    corruption

·                    poverty

1.                 Lacuna Kasoo misuses his power to enrich himself while oppressing the docile citizens of Kutula republic.

2.                 Together with his cronies like Chipande and Malipoa, he mismanages loans he procures from foreign financiers.

3.                 He borrows in his people’s name but banks the money in his individual account.

Characters in Inheritance by David Mulwa

1.                 Thorne Macay

2.                 Bishop Menninger

3.                 King Kutula XV

4.                 Reverend Sangoi

5.                 Romanus Bengo

6.                 Tamina Zen Melo

7.                 Lulu Zen Melo

8.                 Judah Zen Melo

9.                 Councillor Chipande

10.            Councillor Malipoa

11.            Daniel Goldstein

12.            Robert Rollerstone

13.            A host of other supporting characters

Themes in Inheritance by David Mulwa

1.                 Misuse of power

·                    Lacuna constructs a dam which causes the citizens of Kutula Republic misery. All streams lead to the dam making the valley dry. The dam is 15 kilometers away from Tamina’s village. Some citizens have to walk for the whole day in order to access the rare resource. (P 18-20)  

·                    Lacuna is hands off as a leader. He only gives orders (P 71). His ministers run their own ministries without his supervision. “They keep their share of the money” (P 73)

·                    Lacuna appoints his tribesmen to run his government. They are lax and inefficient. The outcome of this is irredeemable mismanagement of resources; 15% decline in output, rotten machines and turbines that need to be replaced. Judah Zen Melo has to befriend Mithambo, Kasoo’s tribesman, in order to get a promotion at Kasoo’s mines where he works as a gate keeper. (P 34)

·                    Lacuna uses 10 billion meant to buy new machines and service the mines to buy him a swanky plane in order to soar above “these petty people and their complaints gossip and hate.” He regards the 84 million citizens as subjects not equals. (P 71-72)

·                    Lacuna, in cahoots with his ministers, pockets 30 % of the balance of the 30 billion shilling loan. He banks it in his individual account abroad. (P 74)

 

2.                 Oppression

Those who sing a different tune from Lacuna face the full force of his wrath.

·                     Lacuna conspires to kill Romanus Bengo. Lacuna claims that he has a thorn in his political side which he wants plucked out. He wants Judah Zen Melo to prove his loyalty by killing his own brother, Romanus Bengo (who is a dissident and an activist against Lacuna’s leadership).

·                     Lacuna offers Judah Zen Melo good things for him and his family should he kill Romanus Bengo, his brother. Judah declines and says he cannot betray his brother and the mother who bore them. He becomes an enemy of the state. Lacuna’s thugs beat him up badly leaving him for dead. He is also dismissed from his government job.

·                    After dismissing Zen Melo, Lacuna relieves him of his cars and government house.

·                    Lacuna arrests Romanus Bengo (for opposing his brand of leadership) and throws him behind bars for a long time. (P 19, 27)

·                    Lulu, a 19 year old school girl, declines Lacuna Kasoo’s advances. He detains her and keeps her at his palace against her will. He flirts with her and even kisses her despite her protests. (P 92-94)

"You were born to soar above the eagles and perch nowhete but in our humble palace" (P 93)

" ... making me young again but beggar - a worshipper at the door of your heart." (P 93)

·                    Lacuna refuses Lulu the liberty to attend her father’s 2^nd interment, which is mandatory, in conformity with customary laws. (P 119)

·                    Lacuna has detained Lulu for a over a month and she is distraught (P 120). She cries a lot as a result. 

·                    Lacuna plans to marry Lulu who is just a 19 year old school girl. Lulu is mortified since she perceives Lacuna as an elder/father and a leader. She has plans of completing school and becoming a doctor. He tries to woo and seduce her with all sorts of niceties but she turns down his offer.  (P117, 119)

·                    Lacuna murders Judah Zen Melo. Robert says, “It was murder for poor Judah, not the age of the machine.” (P 108) He deceives the world that Judah was killed by an old machine, while struggling to work faster and quadruple production.  Lulu says: “You killed my father?” (P 120)

 

3.                 Exploitation

·                 Chipande, Lacuna’s henchman (political advisor) and an MP, forces Tamina to sell her piece of land to him for peanuts (very little money). Since her husband is kicked out of her government job, she is forced to pick coffee at Chipande’s farm in order to raise money to take care of Lulu. (P 24)

                     

·                    Tamina works from dusk to dawn at no extra coin. She can barely afford her daughter Lulu’s school fees. (P 27)

·                    After the white man leaves, Chipande grabs all the land on Bukelenge Mountains. He buys land from Tamina for peanuts claiming he cannot compete with a peasant. He also goes to the Leader and blocks others from obtaining a licence to grow coffee (P 29) 

·                    When the financiers demand that Lacuna pays the interest on the monies advanced to him so far, he says he shall make the subjects pay for their leader and for the seat of power his father paid for with his blood. (P 83)

 

4.                 Corruption

·        Lacuna borrows money in his people’s name and banks it in his individual offshore accounts. (P 61)

·        The money was meant to bolster the economy and better the lives of the people. Kasoo squanders this money. “Apart from lining your pockets and those of your immediate supporters, you have wasted loans advanced to you for development”. (P 64, 77)

 

5.                 Imperialism/colonization

·        Kutula colony is under the imperial rule of white colonialists like Governor Macay and his advisor Bishop Menninger. They come in politely but sooner than later take over operations of the colony, something that angers King Kutula XV. When he decides to kick out the imperialists, they hatch a flawless plan to have him killed with the help of his own son, Lacuna Kasoo. Lacuna is made the new king. The imperialists know that they can manipulate him like a marionette. (P 15-16) (P 68-69)

·        Menninger plans to brainwash and addle Princess Sangoi through western education and religion. “She will return here the very mother and goddess of confusion” (P 15)

·        When Lacuna throws a lavish banquet, he spends a colossal amount of money. He imports beer and wine from Robert’s subsidiary company and expensive food from abroad. Coffee is grown in Kutula but processed and imported from London at exorbitant prices. Eventually, the imperialists reap maximum benefits while the citizens of Kutula continue to suffer and wallow in poverty. (P 61)

·        In order to continue having a firm grip on Kutula’s affairs, the imperialists advance Lacuna more money despite squandering the billions he received initially. However they impose some strict conditions to be met for the funds to be released. (P 81)

·        Goldstein wants Lacuna to privatize public sectors in order to create wealth. Also, to expand the economy to embrace more foreign investment. (P 77)

·        The conditions are exploitative to the natives who have to work hard for little reward. (P 77-78)

 ·         Reduction of wages

·         Removal of price controls

·         Go easy on foreign exchange

·         Quadruple production of silver and gold

·         Reduction of employment

·         Longer working hours

·         Lacuna is forced to dance to the financier’s tune (Please Robert)

 

·          Goldstein arm twists Lacuna into nationalizing the valley and to allow them to occupy it. They plan to irrigate it and grow food to feed the whole of Africa. Their ulterior motive is to use the valley for their own avarices (selfish gains)

·                      Lulu is exasperated because of the neocolonialist tendencies bedeviling operations in her country. The school rules are made in England by “the shameless thieves” who colonized her docile ancestors.   She opines that the obsequious obedience to the white man is needless.

·                      Lulu notes that the leaders have to look over their shoulders “lest some white man is peering at them through his short sighted glasses” (P 45-46) 

 

Major events in Inheritance 

• Meeting among Thorne Macay, King Kutula and Bishop Menninger (Pg 6-14)
• The return of Bengo (Pg 17-24)
• The altercation between Tamina and Lulu (Pg 25-31)
• Judah returns (Pg. 32-39)
• Rev. Sangoi’s visit (Pg 40-44)
• The argument between Tamina and Lulu (Pg 45-46)
• The drunken tales of Judah Zen Melo (Pg 47-51)
• The commemoration of King Kutula’s remembrance day (Pg 52-57)
• Robert Rollerstone & Daniel Goldstein (the financiers) confer with Lacuna Kasoo concerning the accountability on spending foreign loans (Pg63-83)
• Lacuna meets Sangoi and Bukelenge’s opinion leaders concerning the evacuation at Samuka plains (Pg 84-85)
• Lacuna’s discussion with Chipande about the  annual ritual (Pg 87-89)
• The insurrection (Pg 90)
• Lacuna flirts with Lulu (Pg 92-94)
• Sangoi reveals the news about Judah’s death to Tamina (Pg 99-101)
• Heated argument between Malipoa and Lacuna Kasoo (Pg 104-105)
• The financiers freeze Lacunas accounts. (Pg 107-112)
• Declaration of Martial Law (Pg 114-115)
• Disagreement between Lacuna and Lulu (Pg 118-121)
• The meeting in the woods (Pg 122-128)
• Lacuna is overthrown (Pg 131-137)

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