Written in 1980 while its author, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, was in prison for advocating communism, Devil on the Cross focuses on the role of foreign money and investment in Kenya, which is complicated by the country’s role as a former colony of the British Empire.

Kenya became a British colony in 1895, and following this, European settlers began appropriating prime agricultural lands from Indigenous populations. This dispossession, coupled with political and economic marginalization, fueled growing resentment among native Kenyans, particularly the Gikuyu people (in fact, Devil on the Cross is the first modern novel written in the Gikuyu language). The Mau Mau Rebellion, which began in 1952, was a significant armed uprising against British colonial rule. Led primarily by Gikuyu fighters, the rebellion sought to reclaim land and achieve independence. The British response was severe, declaring a state of emergency and implementing harsh measures to suppress the uprising. Tens of thousands of Kenyans were detained in camps, while the conflict resulted in thousands of deaths on both sides.

Although the rebellion was largely suppressed by 1956, it had far-reaching consequences. It exposed the brutality of colonial rule and accelerated the push for independence. Jomo Kenyatta, who had been imprisoned during the emergency despite denying involvement with the Mau Mau Rebellion, emerged as a key figure in the independence movement.