Kenya’s literature trailblazer James Ngugi wa Thiong’o is dead.
News of his death in the United States of America at the age of 87 was confirmed by family sources Wednesday morning.
Kenyan fans and literary buffs were shocked to hear about the death of the iconic writer.
Born James Ngugi wa Thiong’o at Thogoto area of Kiambu on 5 January 1938 the author rose to straddle the Kenyan and East African literary scene as a first among equals for many decades.
In his early days he founded and became editor of the Gikuyu journal Mūtīiri and his remarkable treatise The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright was an instant hit and has, todate, been translated into 100 languages.
He would progress into writing his plays and novels in English before lapsing back to his native Gikuyu mother-tongue. In 1977 together with Ngugi wa Mīiri he penned the blockbuster play Ngaahika Ndeenda (I’ll Marry When I Want) which was at the time considered to bear heavy political undertones. The play was banned and Ngugi jailed for a year.
He wrote another bestselling novel Devil on the Cross while serving his prison term.
From that point onwards Ngugi would be a fugitive from his home country first seeking concentious asylum in the Scandinavian countries before moving to the United States of America.
Even when he was not under direct persecution by the State, Ngugi’s experiences in his motherland have not been pleasant with records of attack on his wife at the Nairobi Norfolk Hotel the only time he came back home.
James Ngugi wa Thiong’o was an international citizen whose contributions to the world of literature knew no boundaries.
His academic journey saw him teach at prestigious institutions including Northwestern University, Yale, New York University, and ultimately serve as Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine.
Just like fellow renowned author from West Africa, Chinua Achebe, Ngugi was never feted with the ultimate Nobel Prize in Literature, probably because of their strong anti-colonial leanings and similar undertones in their writing. Just like Achebe, nonetheless, he got several global distinctions and literary awards.
James Ngugi wa Thiong’o has left behind an enviable literary legacy and a family of writers, including Mukoma wa Ngugi and Wanjiku wa Ngugi.
Communication details on his internment will be released in due course.
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