Renowned Kenyan author and literary icon Ngugi wa Thiong’o has died at the age of 87 in the United States, his family has confirmed.
Ngugi, celebrated globally as East Africa’s leading novelist, passed away on Thursday night in the US after a long illness, according to his daughter Wanjiku wa Ngugi.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o this Wednesday morning, May 28, 2025. 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!”, she wrote on Facebook.
She said the family’s spokesperson, Nducu wa Ngugi, will announce details of his celebration of life in the coming days.
Born on 5 January 1938 as James Ngugi, Ngugi wa Thiong’o was a trailblazing author, playwright, essayist and academic whose influence on African literature and political thought is immeasurable.
He began his career writing in English but later embraced his native Gikuyu language, becoming a pioneering advocate for linguistic decolonisation in African literature.
He was the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri, and his short story The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright has been translated into over 100 languages.
