The literary world mourns the loss of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, one of Africa’s most celebrated authors and a towering figure in post-colonial literature, who passed away this morning at the age of 87, according to statements attributed to his family, on social media.
Ngũgĩ’s daughter, Wanjiku Wa Ngugi, announced his passing, stating, “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.”
Born in 1938 in Kamiriithu, Kiambu, Kenya, Ngũgĩ rose to prominence with his debut novel, Weep Not, Child (1964), the first major novel in English by an East African author. His works, including A Grain of Wheat, Petals of Blood, and Decolonising the Mind, challenged colonial legacies and championed the use of African languages like Gikuyu in literature.
A fierce critic of neo-colonialism and social injustice, Ngũgĩ’s activism led to his imprisonment in 1977 under the Kenyatta regime and later exile to the United States, where he served as a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine.
Despite recent health challenges, including heart surgery that limited his mobility, Ngũgĩ remained active, publishing works like The Perfect Nine and Decolonizing Language: And Other Revolutionary Ideas in recent years. His relentless commitment to cultural and linguistic decolonization earned him global acclaim, though the Nobel Prize for Literature, for which he was a perennial contender, eluded him.
The literary community and readers worldwide are reflecting on Ngũgĩ’s legacy as a revolutionary voice who reshaped African storytelling. Tributes on social media highlight his call to celebrate his life, with many echoing his Gikuyu phrase, “Rîa ratha na rîa thŭa. Tŭrî aira!” (Let’s celebrate and honor him!).
Ngũgĩ is survived by his children, including Wanjiku, Mukoma, and others from his first wife, Nyambura, and his second wife, Njeeri, from whom he separated in recent years. Funeral arrangements and memorial plans have not yet been announced, but the family has urged the public to honor Ngũgĩ’s wish to celebrate his life’s work.