Prof David Mulwa's 'Clean Hands' returns to stage with focus on HIVAIDS, moral conflict

Written by legendary playwright the late Prof David Mulwa, Clean Hands explores love, betrayal, culture, religion, and the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. The production is staged at Ukumbi Mdogo, Kenya National Theatre on May 30.

It is presented by Trail of Thoughts, a theatre company made up of final-year students in theatre arts and film technology at Kenyatta University. The project is overseen by senior lecturer Dr Emmanuel Shikuku and directed by Frederick Mito.

Set in the 1980s, the play follows the lives of two families torn apart by historical grudges and generational conflict while exposing the fear and stigma that surrounded HIV/AIDS during the height of the epidemic.

Ndakika (Victor Muyekwe) is a staunch traditionalist in his sixties who once converted to Christianity but never abandoned his cultural beliefs.

After being expelled from church for clinging to traditional practices, Ndakika is deep into his customs and values. He believes a principled man marries early and surrounds his father with grandsons, but he is fiercely opposed to his son Moses (Charles Gachanja) marrying Veronica Mwende (Irene ‘Sherry’ Njeri), the daughter of his long-time rival, Councillor Nzemeli.

Ndakika blames the village chief for collaborating with colonial authorities and believes the suffering in the community stemmed from that alliance. The bitterness has lingered for decades, and he cannot imagine a union between their children. The conflict pushes Moses into depression as he struggles to reconcile love, family expectations and loyalty to his father.

Moses, an educated teacher guided by formal education and Christian values, is in love with Veronica. His relationship with Veronica has lasted ten years, though repeated attempts to seek his father’s blessing end in rejection. Despite being a strict Sunday school teacher, she broke an oath of fidelity she had made with Moses. Ten years earlier, the couple had vowed to be faithful to each other and sealed the promise by cutting their hands in a symbolic blood oath.

Through Veronica’s diagnosis and the death of Moses’ best friend, the play examines the fear, guilt, shame, and stigma associated with the disease during the 1980s.

“The play reveals that the children are suffering from wounds inherited from their parents. While Ndakika clings to old resentments, Moses and Veronica are forced to bear the consequences of a feud they did not create,” explains Muyekwe.

Performance artist and education student Irene ‘Sherry’ Njeri, who plays Veronica, describes the role as emotionally demanding.

“Veronica is a very heavy character and carries a lot of emotional weight. What fascinates me is her emotional journey. We see her battling guilt, heartbreak and shame, and that reflects real-life situations,” explains Njeri.

She says that the play captures a period when society was not open enough to discuss HIV/AIDS and many people viewed it as a fatal condition. She says when the play was written, people were not open to speaking about the disease, but it is now understood.

“Today the play is relevant because it reminds people about honesty, faithfulness and awareness. It is no longer viewed as a life sentence like it was in the past,” she says.

She also notes that ignorance among young people continues to fuel risky behaviour.

“People have normalised it. You hear someone say they would rather get HIV/AIDS than get pregnant, forgetting it is something you live with for the rest of your life,” she says.

In the play, mental health is explored, as Veronica was affected when she discovered that she had HIV/AIDS before she decided to reveal the truth to Moses.

Gachanja describes his character Moses as a morally upright but naïve man. A 35-year-old teacher who upholds culture and religion, he loves peace and harmony and is honest in everything he does.

“He views the world as he views himself. If he is good to people, then the world should also be kind. But as he realises life is not all rainbows, he discovers another side of himself,” he says.

Moses finding out that Veronica contracted HIV/AIDS after sleeping with his best friend is devastating since he was faithful throughout their relationship. The play interrogates morality and people’s motives, intentions and relationships with other people; thus, the title is Clean Hands.

Performing a Mulwa script is an honour and a challenge for Gachanja. He performed in Mulwa’s Redemption during his first year at university and says returning to another of the playwright’s works has been emotional, and praised the dialogue as rich and intentional.

“Reading Clean Hands feels like listening to an expert. Playing his work after meeting him feels like hearing his voice again. I can almost hear Mulwa directing through the script,” he says.

Muyekwe, who portrays Ndakika, believes the play’s strength lies in how it approaches HIV/AIDS through different explorations of conflict such as generational, religion, and cultural conflict.

Producer David Kimemia says he was drawn to the script due to its depth and social relevance. A lover of literature, when he came across Clean Hands, he wanted to know what it was about. After reading it, he fell in love with the piece.

Kimemia says the play’s themes continue to resonate strongly with young people Today, especially university students navigating relationships and personal choices.

“It highlights how people approach relationships, marriage and religion. As students, sometimes we live carelessly without thinking about the consequences of our actions,” Kimemia says.

He believes the production is timely because HIV/AIDS infections among young people have become a concern.

“What happens Today can affect us tomorrow. That is why this play is still important for our generation,” he says.