Acclaimed Kenyan Writer and Dissident Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Dies at 87

Renowned Kenyan writer and dissident Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has died at 87, his family announced. Known for his postcolonial literature and criticism of both colonial and post-independence Kenyan society, Ngũgĩ was celebrated for writing in Kikuyu and Swahili, rejecting English. His influential work Decolonising the Mind argued for cultural and linguistic liberation. He was jailed in 1977 for a politically charged play and later went into exile. He taught in the U.S. and continued writing prolifically. Tributes have poured in, honoring him as a literary giant and patriot whose impact on African literature, culture, and identity will remain enduring and profound.