From Fiction to Reality: Parallels between Ng’angá Mbugua’s Terrorist of the Aberdare and Different Colours, and Kenyan Media Coverage of Climate Change

Abstract

Fiction often serves as a mirror to reality, and in the context of this paper, it not only reflects the reality of climate change but also plays a crucial role in shaping how we perceive and respond to it, explore the consequences, propose innovative solutions, influence public discourse and shape societal attitudes towards climate change. This paper therefore explores the parallels between Ng’angá Mbugua’s novels, Terrorist of the Aberdare and Different Colours, and the Kenyan media's coverage of climate change. By juxtaposing fiction with media reportage, this study underscores the role of literature in shaping public discourse on climate change and illustrates how fictional narratives can reflect and influence real-world environmental concerns. Using ecocriticism as a literary framework and framing theory in media, this study explores the parallels between Ngángá Mbugua’s fictional works and Kenyan media coverage of climate change between August and October 2024. This will include textual analysis of Mbugua’s novels and content analysis of Kenyan media reports on climate change. The key findings will emphasize the importance of integrating literary and media approaches to enhance climate change communication and advocacy.