The literary world is mourning the loss of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the celebrated Kenyan novelist, playwright, essayist, and academician, has died at the age of 87. Known across the globe for his uncompromising voice on post-colonial identity, language, and resistance, Ngũgĩ’s legacy as a revolutionary writer and intellectual will endure for generations.
News of his passing was confirmed by his family on Wednesday 28th May 2025.Fellow writers, scholars, cultural institutions, and readers who have been deeply influenced by his work continue to mourn his demise.
Ngugi wa Thiongo was Born in 1937 in Kamiriithu, Limuru and he rose to prominence in the 1960s with works like Weep Not, Child and The River Between novels that explored the tension between tradition and modernity in colonial and post-independence Kenya. His literature offered sharp insights into the impact of imperialism, capitalism, and betrayal, while also celebrating the strength of African communities.
Ngũgĩ was never content to simply write for admiration. In the 1970s, he made a bold shift: abandoning English in favor of Gikuyu, his native language, arguing that language was a key site of decolonization. His Gikuyu-language play, Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want), co-written with Ngugi wa Mirii, sparked political uproar and led to his detention without trial by the Kenyan government in 1977. It was during his imprisonment that he famously wrote Devil on the Cross on toilet paper, a feat that cemented his status as a fearless artist of resistance.
Throughout his life, Ngũgĩ was an outspoken advocate for cultural liberation, education, and freedom of expression. He spent many years in exile, teaching at top universities in the U.S. and U.K., including Yale and the University of California, Irvine. His critical essays, especially Decolonising the Mind, remain foundational texts in postcolonial studies.
Ngũgĩ’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and he received numerous awards and honorary doctorates in recognition of his contributions to literature and human rights. Despite being repeatedly nominated, he never received the Nobel Prize in Literature a point of contention for many scholars who regarded him as one of the most deserving.
Beyond his accolades, Ngũgĩ inspired generations of African writers to embrace their heritage, write in their own languages, and challenge systems of oppression. His commitment to language, identity, and justice reshaped the literary map not only of East Africa, but of the world.
As Kenya and the international community celebrate his life and mourn his passing, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o leaves behind not just a body of powerful work, but a challenge: to continue telling African stories on African terms.
