Kunle Afolayan to adapt one of Ngugi wa Thiong'o's classics

Kunle Afolayan will be coming together with undisclosed Kenyan and South African filmmakers to adapt Ngugi Thiong’o’s 1987 masterpiece. Originally written in Kikuyu and Swahili, Matigari follows the story of a patriot who ventures into to the forest in a bid to attack the colonisers and fight for the freedom of his land.

Speaking about this opportunity, Kunle Afolayan said: “Ngugi is like the Wole Soyinka of Nigeria in Kenya and one of his books is going to be adapted into a film. It’s going to be South Africa-Kenya-Nigeria co-production and I’m representing Nigeria.

“We’re really looking forward to this, especially because of the multinational influences it has. Given Kunle Afolayan’s track record with films like Phone Swap and October 1, we’re sure he will do this adaptation justice, and we can’t wait for more information about it.

With the brilliant adaptation of Chimamanda’s Americanah and Wole Soyinka’s The Lion And The Jewel, we do not expect anything less from a man who has proven himself many times as an impressive filmmaker.

As one of the foremost living African novelists, Ngugi is best known for his novel, Weep Not, Child.