Renowned Kenyan author, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, dies at 87

Veteran Kenyan author and scholar, Ngugi wa Thiong’o has died at the age of 87.

His daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngugi, confirmed his passing on Wednesday morning.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong’o on the morning of Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

“He lived a full life and fought a good fight. As per his last wish, let us celebrate his life and his work,” she said.

The cause of death was not revealed.

However, the family noted that funeral arrangements would be shared soon.

“The family’s spokesperson Nducu wa Ngugi will announce details of his celebration of life soon,” Wanjiku stated.

At the time of his death, Ngugi was living in California, United States.

He had spent much of his life in exile or semi-exile since the 1980s, due to political tensions surrounding his work.

His controversial play Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want) was banned in the 1970s, and he was later imprisoned.

The play marked the start of Ngugi’s deep commitment to nationalism, social justice, and resistance through literature.

He went on to publish acclaimed novels including The River Between, Weep Not, Child, A Grain of Wheat, and Petals of Blood.

These works earned him global recognition and positioned East African literature on the world stage.

Ngugi also made a bold decision to stop writing in English, choosing instead to write in his native Kikuyu language.

He believed that “writing in indigenous languages would validate and elevate them, reconnect people with literature, and serve as a form of resistance.”

This stance increased the political pressure on him, leading to his exile in 1982.

Ngugi first settled in Britain and later moved to the United States.

He returned to Kenya briefly in 2004, but he and his wife were attacked in their hotel room—an incident widely viewed as politically motivated.

Aside from writing, Ngugi was a respected academic.

He served as a Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

Throughout his life, he received numerous accolades including the Nonino International Prize for Literature (2001), the Park Kyong-ni Prize (2016), and the PEN Award for Freedom of Expression.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o leaves behind a powerful legacy—one rooted in African identity, resistance, and the unrelenting pursuit of justice through the written word.

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