Kenyan Literary Giant Ngugi wa Thiong’o Dies at 87

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, the celebrated Kenyan author, playwright, and intellectual, has died at the age of 87. His daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngugi, confirmed his passing on Wednesday morning, May 28 2025, following a long illness.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad,” she wrote on Facebook. “He lived a full life, fought a good fight. As was his last wish, let’s celebrate his life and his work.”

Born James Ngugi on January 5 1938, Ngugi became a pioneering voice in African literature and political thought. Initially writing in English, he later championed the use of his native Gikuyu language, advocating for linguistic decolonization across Africa.

His play Ngaahika Ndeenda, co-written with Ngũgĩ wa Mĩriĩ, was shut down by the Kenyan government in 1977 due to its radical themes. Ngugi was imprisoned shortly after and, during his incarceration, wrote Devil on the Cross on scraps of toilet paper.

Recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, he went into exile following his release.

A founder of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri, Ngugi remained committed to accessible storytelling. His fable The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright has been translated into more than 100 languages.

Ngugi taught at Northwestern University, Yale, New York University, and the University of California, Irvine, where he served as Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English.

Frequently cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, he received numerous honors, including the 2001 International Nonino Prize and the 2016 Park Kyong-ni Prize.

He is survived by his children, including writers Mukoma wa Ngugi and Wanjiku wa Ngugi, and leaves behind a profound literary and cultural legacy. Further details regarding a celebration of his life will be shared by family spokesperson Nducu wa Ngugi.