What is the critical meaning of I will marry when I want by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Traditional Kenyan culture is viewed in contrast to Western culture; the latter is seen as alien and found wanting. It would be reductive to call this a novel about "culture clash," but the term is nevertheless useful. Kĩgũũnda and his ilk decry the influx of Western ideas, particularly regarding religion, marriage, the value of work and land, etc. Kĩoi and the other Kenyan elite prefer to distance themselves from their own culture and embrace those of the West, mostly because it allows them to get ahead. The contrast between the two marriage ceremonies offers the most instructive look at how Ngugi depicts Kenyan culture as more authentic and meaningful and Western culture as soulless at its worst and alien at its best.