By 
The literary world is in mourning following the death of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenya’s celebrated author, scholar, and activist, who passed away on Wednesday morning, May 28, 2025, at the age of 87. His daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ, announced the loss on Facebook, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o this Wednesday morning, 28th May 2025. He lived a full life, fought a good fight. As was his last wish, let’s celebrate his life and his work. Rîa ratha na rîa thŭa. Tŭrî aira!”
Born James Thiong’o Ngũgĩ in 1938 in Limuru, Kenya, under the weight of British colonial rule, Ngũgĩ rose from modest beginnings to become a global literary icon. His early novels Weep Not, Child (1964), The River Between (1965), A Grain of Wheat (1967), and Petals of Blood (1977) captured the anguish and resilience of Kenya’s colonial and post-colonial struggles, giving voice to the marginalized and exposing the betrayals of power.
In a bold act of cultural defiance in 1977, Ngũgĩ abandoned English to write in his native Gĩkũyũ, challenging the dominance of colonial languages and sparking a global conversation about linguistic and cultural identity. His play I Will Marry When I Want, co-authored with Ngũgĩ wa Mĩriĩ, criticized Kenya’s elite, leading to his imprisonment under the Kenyatta regime. Undeterred, Ngũgĩ continued to write and resist, even after being forced into exile.
From his new home in the United States, where he served as a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine, Ngũgĩ shaped generations of writers and thinkers. His essays, including Decolonising the Mind (1986) and his final work, Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas (2025), cemented his vision of language as a tool for liberation. Translated into numerous languages, his works earned him widespread acclaim and perennial nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Ngũgĩ’s life was a testament to the power of words to confront injustice and preserve memory. His stories, infused with compassion and courage, remain a clarion call for resistance. Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua expressed the nation’s sorrow on social media stating, “My condolences to the family and friends of professor Ngugi wa Thiongo, a renowned literary giant and scholar, a son of the soil and great patriot whose footprints are indelible.”
Ngũgĩ is survived by his children Njoki, Ngina, Tee, Kay, Mukoma, Wanjiku, Nducu, and Björn who carry forward his legacy of storytelling and activism. Family spokesperson Nducu wa Ngugi will soon announce plans for a celebration of his life.
As the world bids farewell to this literary titan, Ngũgĩ’s voice endures in the pages of his books, in classrooms where his ideas are taught, and in the hearts of generations inspired by his unyielding spirit. His stories, a beacon for the oppressed, will live on, undimmed by time.
