The passing of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o – Iconic African writer and activist

I was a teenager at Queen of Apostles College in Kaduna when I read the first novel of African literary giant Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Weep Not, Child. I was barely 14 years old and was deeply touched by the colonisation of East Africa and the Mau Mau uprising for independence, which most of his novels were about. At the time, I had no idea that Ngugi had lost a brother, Gitogo, who was shot dead by colonial authorities during the struggle. He had failed to comply with orders because he had not heard them. He was hearing challenges. But he was dead anyway. This deeply traumatised Ngugi and his family. The struggle became his life.

His trauma over the years and the deep culture of his Kikuyu people became such alluring content for his numerous books. In one of his stories, he returned from school to find his entire community razed to the ground by colonial authorities.

Ngugi enrolled at Makerere University, Uganda, for his first degree, from where he shared his manuscript with one of Africa’s most revered writers, Chinua Achebe. Professor Achebe shared it with his UK publishers, who went on to publish “Weep Not Child” in 1964. It became an instant hit and became the first major English novel written by an East African. From then on, he became a household name continent-wide. But his voice against injustice was legendary. But his contribution to African literature was unprecedented.

Read also: Title: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: The enduring legacy of an African conscience

Ngugi wa Thiong’o was jailed for a year by the government of President Jomo Kenyatta. During his 12-month incarceration, he wrote “Petals of Blood”, his last novel to be written in English. This book was said to have been written entirely on tissue paper, as he had no access to paper in jail. It was also the period he began the decolonisation of his mind. He wrote his first novel and a few others as James Ngugi, but shed the colonial name James and took on his Kikuyu name Ngugi in 1977. In exile abroad for many years, Ngugi wa Thiong’o returned home to his country at the call of well-meaning Kenyans to come on a book tour.

His trauma was quadrupled when he was attacked and his wife was raped. Ngugi returned abroad, vowing not to return to his country until the government was removed. He described the attack as largely political.

I met Ngugi Wa Thiong’o at the Koko Kalango-led Port Harcourt literary festival when Governor Amaechi was Governor of Rivers State. A lover of literature, Governor Amaechi hosted him at a lavish reception, which I was glad to attend. At the opening of the literary festival, Ngugi stopped at my stand to banter. It was a defining moment. I found him warm, self-effacing, chatty and friendly. We spoke at length about what my writing process was. I was excited that he wrote by hand first before typing into the computer. I was glad that there was someone like me in the whole world. In the face of technology, we both looked like dinosaurs. He laughed easily.

The passing of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o three weeks ago was a huge blow to literature worldwide and a particular loss to African literature.

Read also: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan literary giant, dies at 87

Teacher, novelist, activist, Africanist, African indigenous language proponent, father and husband, Professor Wa Thiong’o would be sorely missed.

Author of “Wizard of the Crow”, “A Grain of Wheat” and “The River Between”, among several other books. He was a multi-genre writer, playwright, essayist and academic; he was described by BBC News as “A titan of modern African literature”.

He wrote most of the rest of his books after Petals of Blood in his native Kikuyu language.

An iroko tree fell three weeks ago at 87 years old, and the literary world, indeed the whole of Africa, has lost a worthy son.