Kintu is set in 18th-century precolonial Africa, long before the arrival of Arabs in Uganda. The novel follows the journey of a young man named Kintu. After his father’s death, Kintu is set to become the governor of his province. When the time comes for him to choose a wife, he falls in love with a younger twin. However, her family insists that he must marry the older sister instead. Unwilling to accept this, Kintu marries the younger sister but, in practice, both women become part of his household since the older sister remains closely connected to her twin.
Despite their marriage, Kintu’s wife is unable to conceive. Eventually, the older sister agrees to bear children on her behalf. She gives birth four times, and each time she has twins. Years later, Kintu’s wife—the younger twin—finally becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. Kintu names him his heir, reasoning that it would be impossible to choose between any of his twin children.
As a powerful governor, Kintu has multiple wives across his province, but his primary wife—the younger twin—holds authority over them all.
The novel weaves together this personal story with the account of a journey Kintu undertakes with an entourage of 25 men to visit a neighboring village and congratulate a newly appointed chieftain. Throughout the narrative, the book explores the beliefs and traditions of Kintu’s people. For instance, they believe that twins are two halves of a single being, split in the womb due to a primordial conflict before birth.
I recently read Paradize, another African novel where the story also unfolds during a caravan, featuring a high-status protagonist—either a chieftain, as in Kintu, or a trader in the other book. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories. I haven’t yet finished Kintu, but I plan to return with an update once I do.