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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, born James Ngugi in 1938 in Kamiriithu near Limuru, Kenya, was one of Africa’s most celebrated novelists, playwrights, and post-colonial theorists.
Over the course of his life, he championed African languages, culture, and liberation through literature, gaining global recognition for his powerful political voice and literary innovations.
Early life and education
Ngũgĩ was born into a large Kikuyu family during British colonial rule. His formative years were deeply shaped by the Mau Mau Uprising, during which two of his brothers were killed and his mother was tortured.
These traumatic experiences became recurring themes in his work, especially concerning the violence of colonialism and the resilience of African people.
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After attending Alliance High School, he enrolled at Makerere University in Uganda, where he published his first short stories and staged his debut play The Black Hermit at the 1962 African Writers Conference.
He later studied at the University of Leeds in England but left before completing his thesis.
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From James Ngugi to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
While studying in England, Ngũgĩ encountered the radical anti-colonial writings of Frantz Fanon and embraced Marxist ideology.
Rejecting colonial legacies, he dropped his Christian name and began writing exclusively in Gĩkũyũ.
His early novels, 'Weep Not, Child' and 'The River Between', were initially published under the name James Ngugi, but later works like 'A Grain of Wheat' (1967) and 'Petals of Blood' (1977) reflected his political awakening and linguistic shift.
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Academic and political activism
Ngũgĩ returned to Kenya and began teaching at the University of Nairobi, where he campaigned to decolonise the curriculum by prioritising African literature and languages.
He was instrumental in the abolition of the English Literature Department in favour of a broader, African-centred literary programme.
In 1976, he co-founded the Kamiriithu Community Education and Cultural Centre, where he worked with local people to develop participatory theatre in Gĩkũyũ.
His play 'Ngaahika Ndeenda' (co-written with Ngũgĩ wa Mirii) and his novel Petals of Blood were viewed as a threat by the Kenyan government, leading to his imprisonment in 1977 without trial.
While in prison at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, he wrote the novel 'Caitaani mũtharaba-Inĩ' (Devil on the Cross) on toilet paper, the first modern novel written in Gĩkũyũ.
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Exile and international recognition
After his release in 1978, Ngũgĩ faced continued harassment and went into exile. He held academic posts in the UK, the US, and Germany, including positions at Yale, Bayreuth, and Northwestern Universities.
He later became Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine.
In 2004, he and his second wife, Njeeri wa Ngũgĩ, were assaulted in their Nairobi apartment during a visit to Kenya a politically charged attack. Despite this, Ngũgĩ remained a passionate advocate for freedom of expression and African cultural revival.
Ngũgĩ was previously married to Nyambura wa Ngũgĩ, his first wife who is now deceased. Together, they had several children, including authors Tee Ngũgĩ, Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, Nducu wa Ngũgĩ, and Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ.
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Legacy and death
Ngũgĩ authored novels, plays, memoirs, children’s books, and critical essays. His short story 'The Upright Revolution': Or 'Why Humans Walk Upright' has been translated into over 100 languages. He also founded and edited Mũtĩiri, a Gĩkũyũ-language journal.
He received numerous honours throughout his life, including the 2001 International Nonino Prize and the 2016 Park Kyong-ni Prize, and was awarded more than a dozen honorary degrees.
Long considered a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, his legacy remains one of unwavering commitment to linguistic justice, African identity, and political courage.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o passed away on 28 May 2025, aged 87, after a long illness.