I should say, rather, miscasting.
Both Hudson and Poitier are horridly miscast in this. Neither one of them fits the part, are too "American" to be Kenyan; particularly Hudson who doesn't handle the role well. Read the book; although it's long in detail, it's much better than this film would lead you to believe.
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I have not read the book, so I had nothing to compare to. On the basis of the film, I thought Hudson did a pretty good acting job, despite his nonsensical American accent. And I thought quite the opposite, regarding Poitier; he was anything but "horridly miscast." Perhaps he looked more "Caribbean" than African -- the actress who played his wife was far more off, by the way, given how lightly colored she was -- but these factors didn't bother me to the point of getting in the way of my enjoyment of the film. If the actor's performance is viable enough, it doesn't take long for most viewers to forgive the inconsistencies.
shareI wouldn't know how convincing Sidney Poitier is as a Kenyan, but he gives a typically dynamic performance. He makes the typically wooden Rock Hudson seem all the more uninteresting.
...Justin