Senator James Murango Eulogizes Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: A Colossus of African Letters and Guardian of Indigenous Identity

 

By John Kariuki

Kirinyaga County Senator James Murango solemnly joins the nation and the global literary fraternity in lamenting the demise of Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a towering luminary of literature, an indomitable intellectual, and an unwavering sentinel of African cultural and linguistic sovereignty.

In his poignant homage, Senator Murango extolled Prof. Ngũgĩ’s prodigious contribution to African letters, asserting that his oeuvre remains an unparalleled beacon illuminating the tumultuous journey of a continent grappling with the vestiges of colonial subjugation and the complexities of postcolonial governance. “Through seminal masterpieces such as Weep Not, Child and Petals of Blood, Prof. Ngũgĩ poignantly encapsulated the agonies of colonial oppression, the ignominies of neocolonial betrayal, and the resilient tenacity of the African spirit,” Murango reflected.

Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s legacy is enshrined not only in his literary canon but in his revolutionary insistence on the reclamation and valorization of indigenous African languages as vital conduits of authentic narrative and cultural emancipation. His deliberate transition from English to his native Gikuyu transcended mere linguistic preference; it was a profound act of epistemic defiance against colonial hegemony and a clarion call for decolonizing African epistemologies.

Senator Murango underscored the transcendent and perennial nature of Prof. Ngũgĩ’s intellectual inheritance. “His prose and poetry were imbued with a trenchant eloquence and formidable courage that shall undoubtedly galvanize and inspire generations far beyond the African continent.”

Prof. Ngũgĩ’s multifaceted legacy as a novelist, dramatist, essayist, and scholar is marked by an unflinching interrogation of language, power, identity, and resistance. His steadfast commitment to truth often entailed personal sacrifice, including incarceration without trial and prolonged exile yet his resolve remained unassailable.

“As a nation, we mourn the passing of a formidable voice of conscience, a fearless critic of injustice whose pen wielded truth as a weapon,” Murango concluded. “Prof. Ngũgĩ’s legacy is indelible and eternal.”

May the soul of Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o rest in profound and everlasting peace.

May 29, 2025