Ngugi wa Thiong’o, celebrated author and champion of African languages, dies at 87

Renowned Kenyan author, playwright, and academic Ngugi wa Thiong’o has died at the age of 87.

The family confirmed that the revered literary figure passed away on Wednesday morning in the United States after a prolonged illness.

His daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngugi, announced the news in a heartfelt message shared via social media.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o… He lived a full life, fought a good fight. As was his last wish, let’s celebrate his life and his work. Rîa ratha na rîa thŭa. Tŭrî aira!”

The family spokesperson, Nducu wa Ngugi, is expected to share details on memorial events and burial arrangements in the coming days.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, born James Ngugi on 5 January 1938 in Kamiriithu, Kiambu County, was a literary titan whose work reshaped African literature and challenged the cultural and political legacy of colonialism.

He began his career writing in English but later made a decisive and symbolic shift to writing in Gikuyu, his mother tongue—a move he described as an act of reclaiming identity and resisting linguistic imperialism.

A professor of literature and an influential essayist, Ngugi’s works often explored the struggles of post-colonial Africa, social justice, and the power of indigenous languages. His celebrated novels include Weep Not, Child, A Grain of Wheat, Petals of Blood, and Devil on the Cross—the latter famously written on toilet paper during his imprisonment without trial under President Daniel arap Moi’s regime in the late 1970s.

His radical commitment to grassroots theatre and storytelling led to the banning of his community play Ngaahika Ndeenda (co-authored with Ngugi wa Mirii) and his subsequent detention in Kamiti Maximum Prison in 1977. Recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, Ngugi later went into self-imposed exile, continuing his work abroad.

Over the decades, he held teaching positions at major universities, including Yale, New York University, and Northwestern University. He served most recently as a distinguished professor of English and comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine.

His short story ,The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright has been translated into over 100 languages, a testament to his belief in the universality of African stories told in African voices.

Ngugi was frequently mentioned among the top contenders for the Nobel Prize in Literature, though he never received the honour. Nonetheless, he was the recipient of numerous international awards, including the Nonino International Prize for Literature (2001) and the Park Kyong-ni Prize (2016).

Beyond his academic and literary accomplishments, Ngugi was a devoted father and patriarch of a family of writers, including Mũkoma wa Ngugi and Wanjiku wa Ngugi, who continue his legacy.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o leaves behind a profound legacy: a body of work that dared to imagine a continent speaking in its own voice, in its own languages, and on its own terms.

The family said further details on his commemoration will be announced in due course.