Family of renowned Kenyan author, Ngugi wa Thiong’o has announced the passing of the literary icon.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports daughter of Ngugi, Wanjiku wa Ngugi, made the announcement via Facebook on Wednesday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong’o this Wednesday morning, 28th May 2025.
“He lived a full life, fought a good fight. As was his last wish, let’s celebrate his life and his work,” Wanjiku wrote.
According to her, the family’s spokesperson, Nducu wa Ngugi will announce details of his celebration of life soon.
TNG reports Ngugi is considered one of East Africa’s greatest literary figures.
Ngugi was jailed in 1977 without charge after the staging of their play “Ngaahika Ndeenda” (“I Will Marry When I Want”).
The play was considered a harsh critique of post-colonial Kenyan society.
The literary icon went into self-imposed exile in 1982 after a ban on theatre groups in Kenya, moving first to Britain then to the United States.
In 1986, he published one of his best-known works, “Decolonising the Mind”, a collection of essays about the role of language in forging national culture, history and identity.
He died at the age of 87.