Kenya and the entire African continent mourn the loss of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, who died on May 28, 2025, in Georgia, USA. Ngũgĩ was more than a celebrated novelist — he was a revolutionary thinker who championed African languages and decolonization.

Born in colonial Kenya, Ngũgĩ’s early works like Weep Not, Child captured the struggles of independence. But his boldest act was rejecting English in favor of his native Gikuyu language to resist cultural domination.

His 1977 play criticizing government corruption led to his imprisonment. Undeterred, Ngũgĩ wrote Devil on the Cross on toilet paper in prison, symbolizing his resilience.

Exiled for decades, he taught at prestigious universities worldwide but remained a beacon for African writers. His call to “decolonize the mind” inspired a new generation across Africa to tell their own stories in their own languages.

Ngũgĩ’s legacy transcends borders — his words continue to inspire writers and thinkers from Lagos to Johannesburg. Though he never won the Nobel Prize, his impact on African literature and identity is unmatched.