Tradition, hybridity, and The quest for healing: Representing HIV/AIDS in Meja Mwangi’s The Last Plague

Abstract

This study examines Meja Mwangi’s The Last Plague through the lens of postcolonial criticism, drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Lois Tyson and Homi Bhabha to explore how the narrative depicts the human and societal impacts of HIV/AIDS. Mwangi portrays illness not merely as a biological crisis but as a profound social and emotional upheaval that destabilizes communal life. The novel highlights how inherited traditions and cultural practices inadvertently contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS, while religious figures, both Christian and Muslim, emerge as sources of healing, solace, and moral support. In this way, Mwangi underscores the tensions between tradition, hybridity, and faith, presenting HIV/AIDS as a human tragedy unfolding within a postcolonial society caught between indigenous customs, colonial legacies, and spiritual resilience.