Family Confirmed He Died Peacefully
The literary world awoke today to the loss of one of its most profound voices—a writer whose words shaped generations, challenged empires, and elevated the soul of a continent. Revered across Africa and beyond for his uncompromising commitment to justice, language, and cultural identity, the news of his passing has sent waves of reflection through academia, literature, and activist communities alike. His family confirmed that he died peacefully on the morning of Wednesday, 28th May 2025, at the age of 87.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the legendary Kenyan novelist, playwright, and theorist, was one of Africa’s most iconic literary figures. A powerful voice in postcolonial literature, his works explored the complex intersections of language, identity, and resistance. The family, in a public statement, has called for the world not just to mourn his departure but to celebrate the towering legacy he leaves behind. Quoting a Kikuyu saying, they declared, “Rîa ratha na rîa thŭa. Tŭrî aira!”—“Let there be both mourning and rejoicing.”
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on AkweyaTV
Three years ago, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o featured in a live conversation facilitated by the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), which was broadcast exclusively on AkweyaTV. The conversation was a rich, two-hour dialogue between Ngũgĩ and an African literary audience, moderated by Professor Okey Ndibe.
It traversed Ngũgĩ’s evolution as a writer—from his early days as a student at Makerere University, where he “lied” about having a story just to impress a senior writer, to his seminal transition from writing in English to Gikuyu. He discussed key milestones such as the inspiration behind his novels The River Between and The Wizard of the Crow, his arrest in 1977 after producing a play in Gikuyu with peasants, and how his incarceration ignited his lifelong commitment to writing in African languages.
In the conversation, Ngũgĩ emphasised how the politics of language shaped Africa’s intellectual disempowerment and argued powerfully for writing in African languages as a tool of liberation. He also responded to questions about his literary philosophy, creative process, and his passionate belief in linguistic justice. He shared personal anecdotes, including how prostate cancer inspired him to begin The Wizard of the Crow, and expressed admiration for young African writers embracing their native tongues.
While acknowledging that few African writers have followed his linguistic path, Ngũgĩ maintained that decolonising the mind begins with the reclamation of African languages. He emphasised that true empowerment comes from knowing one’s language and culture, while still learning from others. He humorously deflected a question about his burial preference and reiterated his commitment to leaving behind work that empowers future generations.
Birth of James and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Born on January 5, 1938, in Kamiriithu near Limuru, in what was then British East Africa, Ngũgĩ was christened James Ngugi. He began his educational journey at the prestigious Alliance High School before advancing to Makerere University College in Uganda in 1959. It was there, in 1962, that his first play, The Black Hermit, was staged during Uganda’s independence celebrations, signaling the arrival of a formidable new voice in African literature. His academic pursuit later took him to the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, where he graduated in 1964.
Weep Not, Child
Ngũgĩ’s literary breakthrough came swiftly. In 1964, he published Weep Not, Child, the first East African novel to be written in English. This was followed by The River Between in 1965, which explored the cultural and colonial tensions in Kenyan society, and A Grain of Wheat in 1967, a novel that marked a shift toward deeper political engagement.
By 1970, with the publication of Petals of Blood, Ngũgĩ had firmly positioned himself as a writer unafraid to critique the neocolonial failures and systemic corruption plaguing post-independence Kenya.
I Will Marry When I Want
His literary trajectory took a bold and dangerous turn in 1977 when he co-authored the politically charged play Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want) with Ngugi wa Mirii. Performed in his native Kikuyu language and staged in his hometown, the play was a scathing critique of inequality and repression. The government responded swiftly: Ngũgĩ was arrested and detained without trial.
It was during this imprisonment that he famously wrote Devil on the Cross—also in Kikuyu—on prison-issued toilet paper. Though released in 1978, he was blacklisted and remained under government surveillance, prompting his eventual exile in 1982 after renewed threats.
An Exiled Mind?
Exile did not silence him. Instead, it globalised his voice. Ngũgĩ continued to write prolifically, publishing the seminal Decolonising the Mind in 1986, a powerful argument for African writers to embrace indigenous languages. During this period, he taught at several prominent U.S. universities, including Yale, New York University, and the University of California, Irvine. He continued to publish bold works like Matigari (1994) and The Wizard of the Crow (2004), both originally written in Kikuyu and later translated by himself. These texts extended his vision of linguistic liberation and cultural renaissance.
Attacked in Nairobi on Return to Kenya after 24 Years
In 2006, Ngũgĩ returned to Kenya after 24 years in exile. His homecoming was marred by an attack on him and his wife in a Nairobi hotel, a stark reminder of the perils that still shadowed his truth-telling. Yet he remained undeterred, turning to memoir to reflect on his life’s journey.
Between 2010 and 2016, he published a series of autobiographical works: Dreams in a Time of War, In the House of the Interpreter, and Birth of a Dream Weaver, each charting different phases of his remarkable life—from colonial childhood to intellectual awakening at Makerere University.
Honours without the Nobel
In his final years, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was lauded with international honours and academic accolades. He was repeatedly mentioned as a leading contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, a recognition he never received officially but commanded in spirit and influence.
His advocacy for writing in African languages inspired generations of writers and thinkers, making him not just a chronicler of African reality but an architect of African intellectual independence.
The family has indicated that arrangements for a celebration of his life will be announced shortly by his son and family spokesperson, Nducu wa Ngugi. They expressed deep gratitude for the outpouring of love and support and asked that the world remember Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o not only in death but in the enduring flame of his work.
In remembering Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, African writers remember a man who dared to dream in his own language, who wrote through pain and prison, and who challenged Africa and the world to think, to feel, and to reclaim their stories. His pen is now still, but his voice echoes on.
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