Honouring a Giant of African Letters: Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) joins the global community in paying tribute to Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the towering intellectual, literary giant, and fierce advocate for decolonisation, whose profound contributions to African thought, literature, and linguistic justice have shaped generations across the world.

In March 2017, the NIHSS had the extraordinary honour of hosting Prof. wa Thiong’o at our offices in Johannesburg. It was his first stop upon arrival in South Africa; a moment forever etched in the collective memory of the Institute. Our corridors came alive with the excitement of staff, PhD fellows, and visitors who gathered to meet the man whose work had inspired countless lives. Later that evening, Prof. wa Thiong’o delivered his now-legendary lecture, “Secure the Base, Decolonise the Mind”, at the Wits Great Hall, where he was welcomed with thunderous applause and admiration. The #NgugiPublicLecture trended nationally that evening, an enduring testament to the reach and resonance of his voice.

Prof. wa Thiong’o’s visit to South Africa continued with engagements at the University of Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre and at the University of Fort Hare, where he shared his wisdom with scholars, students, and the broader public. His lectures were more than academic discourses, they were calls to action: to reclaim our languages, to resist intellectual and cultural erasure, and to reimagine the future of Africa on our own terms.

As we remember Prof. wa Thiong’o’s legacy, we reflect on the timeless insights he shared, including:

“If you know all the languages of the world but not your mother tongue, that is enslavement. Knowing your mother tongue and all other languages too is empowerment.”

“Language did to the mind what the sword did to the bodies of the colonised.”

“Let us call people by what they call themselves.”

Prof. wa Thiong’o taught us that language is not just a tool, it is the very foundation of freedom, culture, and identity. His unwavering commitment to decolonial thought and to the reclamation of African languages stands as a powerful reminder of the work still to be done in building an Africa that is intellectually sovereign and globally engaged.

At the NIHSS, we remain deeply inspired by Prof. wa Thiong’o’s life and teachings. His voice continues to echo through our work as we strive to nurture a generation of scholars, storytellers, and changemakers who are committed to African-centred knowledge, linguistic justice, and transformative research.

As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate his legacy; a legacy of courage, clarity, and commitment, and a call to action for African scholars, writers, and communities to reclaim their narratives. His life and words will continue to ignite minds and inspire action across the continent and beyond.

Rest in Power, Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: Lion of African Literature. Robala ka kgotso.