Igiza Players had to wait quite a while for Martin Abuya to write his courageous script Severed Justice. But it was well worth the wait which was partially due to his directing his own play.
Bintu (Jeff Obonya) is the one who feels most deeply aggrieved and having a passionate desire to avenge the death of his son during riots against an undemocratic government.
Abuya calls his play “courageous’ because it tackles the complex and complicated topics of police brutality and the fight for justice in his original work.
He also gives it that name because Bintu is not alone in feeling the need to fight for social justice.
Practically everyone who has lost a loved one during demonstrations against the impunity given to police by the power brokers who work behind the scenes to ensure they retain their dominant power in society and around the world where undemocratic governments are on the rise.
But most wananchi won’t rebel since they know that speaking out could cost them their lives just as it did to Bintu’s son.
But Bintu could no longer be silent. His fear is overcome by his fervent passion to bring down the torturers and murderers of his beloved son.
But for the police, anyone breaking through their defence lines could cost them their jobs which is to protect their Big Boss, Chief Inspector Bakari (Sammy Waweru).
Bakari is also the one who provides them with the weapons the police officers need to do that job, especially now that the people, particularly the students are in the streets.
Their protests, which began peacefully, are happening all over the country, even in the president’s hometown. But once something happens to trigger the police to throw tear gas canisters and shoot live bullets, and activists to come back with rocks, everything goes hey-wire.
