A tribute to Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Abstract

This is a tribute to the late Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who passed on 28 May 2025. The tribute pays attention to Ngugi’s rich legacy as one of Africa’s foremost writers, a political activist and a cultural engineer of note. Beyond his remarkable contribution as a writer in shaping Africa’s literary historiography, the tribute lingers on his cultural revolution and ways in which he courageously defended the use of African languages writing. His authoritative contribution in the areas of decoloniality, anticipated the current concerns with the decolonial turn by decades. The tribute points to Ngugi’s lasting contribution to African studies in general as a writer in politics and an eloquent critique of colonial traditions and neo-colonialism in Africa.