Obituary

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Renowned Kenyan Novelist, Dies at 87

Ngugi Wa Thiong’o in 2015. — Ngugi Wa Thiong’o in 2015.Photographer: Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images

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By Sarah McGregor

May 28, 2025 at 7:56 PM UTC

Updated on

May 28, 2025 at 8:54 PM UTC

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a Kenyan novelist best known for his books critiquing the hardships of post-colonial Africa, has died. He was 87.

He died on Wednesday and had been receiving kidney dialysis treatments, the Associated Press reported.