The political and economic atmosphere in which The Black Hermit was written was that of great optimism in the East African region as some of the countries had already attained independence from European colonialism.
Ngugi wa Thiong’o wrote the book in 1962, and the play reflects the a strong aspiration or hope of the time that nationalism would trounce tribalism. Decades later the question can be asked as to the extent to which this has happened if it has happened at all.
