Kenya author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, one of Africa’s literary greats, dead at 87
His decision to stop writing in English and use only his native Kikuyu made him a powerful symbol of postcolonial African identity
Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, considered one of east Africa’s greatest literary figures, died on Wednesday, his daughter announced on social media. He was 87.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong’o this Wednesday morning,” wrote Wanjiku Wa Ngugi. “He lived a full life, fought a good fight,” she added.
Messages of support and respect quickly poured in for the celebrated author, whose decision to stop writing in English and start using only his native Kikuyu made him a powerful symbol of postcolonial African identity.
“My condolences to the family and friends professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o, a renowned literary giant and scholar, a son of the soil and great patriot whose footprints are indelible,” wrote Martha Karua, an opposition leader in Kenya, on social media.
A social activist, Thiong’o served as a distinguished professor of English and comparative literature at the University of California-Irvine for more than two decades and penned a number of plays and short stories in addition to his novels.
His most acclaimed works include Petals of Blood, a 1977 book chiding Kenya’s emerging class of post-independence elites for exploiting the poor, and Wizard of the Crow, which examined the legacy of colonialism and was published in 2006, more than two decades after he had moved abroad.