Different Colours

This is a multi-layered story of love set in a society that is wracked by ethnic tensions and mistrust. But it also a metaphor of our time, digging into the big debates of the day: From the use of social media to mobilise for change to the need for social harmony, national healing and justice. Arguably Ng’ang’a Mbugua’s most sophisticated work yet, this story traces the fortunes of Miguel, an artist on the path of self-discovery in a society that is trying to come to terms with the diversity of the identities of its people. Will Miguel find love and acceptance in his country and in the global village? Will he fulfill his potential? Will he make a meaningful social contribution to the society that he has chosen to adopt? Is he an agent bent on upsetting the apple cart by unearthing unpleasant secrets or is he only interested in opening the eyes of a society that has been plagued by ignorance, exploitation and deceit? Different Colours was first published in May 2011 and has been an undergraduate study text at Egerton University, Kenya