University of Nairobi to host national tribute honouring Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on June 20

The University of Nairobi will on Friday, June 20, 2025, hold a national tribute in honour of the late literary icon Prof Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, celebrating his groundbreaking contributions to literature, culture, and African thought.

The day-long event, themed “The Life and Works of Prof Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o”, will be held at Taifa Hall, a venue of great historical significance where the renowned writer once addressed students following his release from prison in 1978.

The tribute has been organised by the university in collaboration with his family and his publisher.

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan will be the keynote speaker at the event.

“We are not calling him the chief guest. We are calling him the person to give the lead tribute. Many people don’t know the deep relationship between Yusuf and Ngũgĩ, both in the UK and the US. It will be very touching,” Kiarie told the Nation.

Activities will include readings from his books, performances of his plays, musical and dance presentations, and exhibitions of his literary works.

One of the highlights will be an appearance by actors from the first cast of Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want), a play Prof Ngũgĩ co-authored with the late Ngũgĩ wa Mirii.

“This event is for the people of Kenya, the African continent, and admirers from across the globe,” the family spokesman and Executive Director of the Ngugi wa Thiong’o Foundation, Dr Nducu wa Ngũgĩ, told the Nation.

Prof Ngũgĩ died on May 28 in Buford, Georgia, USA, aged 87.

Cremated

His family later confirmed that, in line with his wishes, he was cremated and would not be accorded a formal burial. Instead, commemorative events will be held to reflect on and celebrate his work.

“We have been fully committed to fulfilling Fafa’s last wishes, not ours… All of them. And what we have done thus far is what he instructed us to do,” Nducu said during a June 7 memorial event in Atlanta, USA.

He added, “Let me just say that all the information and inquiries that concern the Ngũgĩ family will come from me, through me as a family spokesman and not from any other source.”

Kiarie Kamau, CEO of East African Educational Publishers (EAEP), which has published Prof Ngũgĩ’s works since 1965, said Friday’s event is the culmination of long-standing celebrations of the author’s life.

“The programme is packed. We will try as much as possible to break the monotony. That’s why the readings of excerpts from his books will not just be read in a boring way,” he told the Nation.

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• University of Nairobi to host national tribute honouring Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on June 20
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He added that Prof Ngũgĩ’s eldest son, Thiong’o (Tee) Ngugi, will attend in person while other family members will join virtually.

Head of the UoN Department of Literature, Prof Miriam Wangu Maranga-Musonye, which Ngũgĩ chaired from 1973 to 1977, emphasised the symbolism of Taifa Hall.

“The department was home to Ngũgĩ. Maybe a troubled home, but it was still his home. I was fortunate enough to connect with him just three days before he died. It was clear he still held the department very dear to his heart,” she said.

Large attendance

She added that the hall’s structure allows for large attendance, including overflow space on the adjacent lawn.

“The function is open to everyone. Every Kenyan is free to come and celebrate this giant of African literature who has put Kenya on the world map,” Kiarie said.

Among the speakers will be representatives from the university’s leadership, former students, scholars, and academics.

“Most certainly, we will have a reading from his seminal work, Decolonising the Mind,” Musonye noted.

She also confirmed that Prof Ndirangu Wachanga, Ngũgĩ’s biographer, will speak and screen a short documentary.

The University of Nairobi Travelling Theatre will perform, and EAEP will exhibit various editions of Ngũgĩ’s books, including original and updated covers.

A ten-minute segment from The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, co-authored with Micere Mugo, will also be staged.

Nducu said the family remains committed to Ngũgĩ’s lifelong mission of linguistic justice.

“He dedicated his life to championing African languages and all those that have been historically marginalised,” he said.

“He has entrusted us to continue with that work, and we are on task to take this mantle with the same passion, conviction, and commitment he exemplified. We join the world in celebrating Ngugi’s tremendous contribution to literature, the arts, and the pursuit of social justice.”