President Ruto Leads Kenyans in Mourning Ngugi wa Thiong'o

President William Ruto has led the country in mourning the death of celebrated author and academic Ngugi wa Thiong’o.

Ngugi passed away on Wednesday, May 28, in the United States at the age of 87.

In a statement on Thursday, May 29, President Ruto eulogized Ngugi as a towering giant of Kenyan letters who made an impact on social justice and the uses and abuses of political and economic power.

“I have learnt with sadness about the death of Kenya's beloved teacher, writer, playwright, and public intellectual, Prof Ngugi wa Thiong'o. The towering giant of Kenyan letters has put down his pen for the final time. Always courageous, he made an indelible impact on how we think about our independence, social justice, as well as the uses and abuses of political and economic power,” Ruto stated.

The Head of State also described Ngugi as a patriotic Kenyan whose discourse sprang forth from a deep and earnest quest for truth and understanding, devoid of malice, hatred, or contempt.

“Many Kenyans cannot remember a time when we were not united in the hope that Prof Thiong'o would finally receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, which we all felt he more than deserved. Be that as it may, he will always remain the champion of literary emancipation and innovation in our hearts and minds,” Ruto added.

ODM party leader Raila Odinga also mourned Ngungi, saying, “A giant African has fallen. Rest in Eternal Peace, author Prof Ngugi wa Thiong'o.”

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on his part, remembered Ngugi as a literary genius who inspired him in language and communication.

“Prof. Ngùgì was one in many; a mentor, a teacher, a prolific writer, a poet, an honest man, and a great political animal. Ngùgì’s great works of literature among them; The River Between, Weep Not Child, A Grain of Wheat, I Will Marry When I Want, Devil on the Cross, Decolonizing the Mind, Wizard of the Crow, Matigari, Dreams in the Time of War, among others have created an original African desire, identity and the African literary philosophy.

“If a literary genius ever lived who has inspired my world of literary language and communication, may it be the use of symbolism, figurative language, metaphors, metonymy, poetry, that genius is Prof. Ngùgì Wa Thiong’o,” said Gachagua.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi eulogized Thiong’o as a true trailblazer who has left behind a profound legacy that will be difficult for any to match.

“Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o stands tall as one of the most distinguished literary giants ever to emerge from Kenya, and indeed, East Africa. Through timeless works like The River Between, Petals of Blood, and A Grain of Wheat, he illuminated the soul of a nation, challenged the status quo, and gave voice to generations. His pen stirred thought, provoked dialogue, and shaped the landscape of African literature,” Mudavadi mourned.

Ngugi was born on January 5, 1938, in Kamiriithu, near Limuru, and was originally named James Ngugi, a name he would later reject in favor of his traditional Kikuyu name.