Africa
Kenyan literary giant Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o mourned as a cultural icon
The literary world is mourning the loss of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the revered Kenyan author, scholar, and activist who passed away in the United States after a prolonged illness at the age of 87. Tributes poured in from fellow writers and publishers, who described him as a beacon of African consciousness and an unflinching critic of both colonialism and post-independence authoritarianism.
Ngũgĩ, a towering figure in African literature, authored dozens of works — from groundbreaking novels like Petals of Blood and The Wizard of the Crow, to incisive essays such as Decolonizing the Mind — that challenged not only the legacies of imperialism but also the cultural and linguistic systems left in its wake.
“He touched the hearts of the people,” said David Maillu, a Kenyan author and publisher. “Africans were colonised and colonialism was not just economic, it was cultural destruction. And for him to talk about that, that was very impressive. It is like saying he was God-sent.”
Ngũgĩ’s work was as revolutionary in content as it was in form. A pioneer in promoting African languages in literature, he made a radical shift in the late 1970s to write primarily in Gikuyu, arguing that language was central to reclaiming African identity. This decision, along with his outspoken criticism of Kenya’s political elite, led to his imprisonment and decades in exile.
For younger generations, Ngũgĩ’s writings remain a cornerstone of African literature and education. Author Sophia Waweru recalled her first encounter with his books in high school, saying, “He’s a living legend. We’ve not lost him — he is living through the work of his hands.”
His impact was also deeply personal and cultural. Abdulahi Bulle, a Nairobi-based bookstore owner, reflected on Ngũgĩ’s devotion to African heritage: “He really loved his culture and his people and he documented it very well. So besides being a good storyteller, he was also preserving and laying the foundation where Africans must appreciate their names and their colour.”
A panoramic view of Ngũgĩ’s books — spanning fiction, memoir, essays, and children’s literature — offers a testament to a life devoted to truth-telling and cultural preservation.
Ngũgĩ was often considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature and was recognized globally, including being shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and winning the Pak Kyong-ni Literature Award. His admirers included literary icons like John Updike and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as former U.S. President Barack Obama, who once hailed Ngũgĩ’s ability to show how “the transformative events of history weigh on individual lives and relationships.”
Having survived assassination attempts and government persecution during the Moi regime, Ngũgĩ never wavered in his mission to “decolonize the African mind.” His legacy will live on — not only in his extensive body of work but in the cultural and intellectual awakening he helped inspire.
He is survived by nine children.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said the situation in Gaza was getting “worse by the day” and that there is an urgent need to ensure more humanitarian aid is delivered to the Palestinian enclave.
“To be clear, in saying it’s intolerable to be absolutely clear that there needs to be a ceasefire,” the British premier said.
His comments came after health officials and international organisations said at least 31 people died and around 200 were wounded on Sunday.
Witnesses say Israeli forces fired towards crowds near an aid site run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group backed by Israel and the US.
Starmer said humanitarian aid needs to get in to Gaza “at speed and at volumes, that it is not getting in at the moment, causing absolute devastation”.
He said it was important to “continue our work to secure the release of hostages who’ve been held for a very, very long time”.
“We’re working closely with allies on that. Will continue to do so,” he said.
Hospitals in Gaza have been overwhelmed with victims, with Doctors without Borders saying people reported being shot at from all sides.
Israel’s military denied its forces fired at civilians near or within the site in the southern city of Rafah.
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with procedure, said troops fired warning shots at several suspects advancing toward them overnight.
After violent protests in Bangui blocked an opposition party meeting on Saturday, leaving two people dead, the Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution, or BRDC, is pointing the finger at the ruling United Heart Movement (MCU). They’re accusing officials of organising the violence that disrupted the event at a football stadium in the capital.
Crépin Mboli Goumba is a platform coordinator with the BRDC. Speaking to journalists on Sunday, he said it was a sad day for democracy.
“For over a month now, we’ve had an appointment with the Central African people, and we’ve taken all the necessary precautions. We informed the Ministry of Territorial Administrati on, the Ministry of the Interior and MINUSCA so that our meeting could take place peacefully. Unfortunately, the party in power, the MCU, has mobilized all its energy to attack our activists, two of whom are in local hospitals as we speak.”
The BRDC says it received all necessary authorizations to hold the meeting and has accused the police and United Nations peacekeeping force MINUSCA of doing nothing to prevent the violence against activists and journalists.
Organisers of the match where the violence broke out say they have no connection to the ruling party.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine will meet in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks.
The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for the meeting, according to Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy Whatsapp group.
The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived on Sunday evening, Russian state media reported.
Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT), with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present.
However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time.It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy.
Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on resolving key conditions for stopping the war.
Fierce fighting has in the meantime continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other’s territory with deep strikes.
It comes as a Ukrainian drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia’s territory, Ukraine’s Security Service said on Sunday, while Moscow pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones just hours before the new round of talks.
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