WHY NGUGI WA THION'GO'S BODY WAS CREMATED

Having passed away on May 28, 2025 in Georgia, USA at 87, Ngũgĩ son of Thion'go had made a bucket list that was consistent to his norms and belief with regards to the African culture without foreign indulgence. His son Mukoma wa Ngũgĩ, confirmed that his body was cremated in the US as per his final wishes.

His decision to be cremated follows his strong desire to stick to the original cultural norms , before Africa was colonized. He believed in the capacity of our ethnic languages to communicate freedom from tyrannical rule. The Literature maestro was passionate about cultural preservation and liberating Africa through language and storytelling.

Ngũgĩ’ was a simple man and required no formal burial preparations, as his family stated. They confirmed that his prowess in the world of literature would be feted through a series of events from the US to his homeland, Kenya. Scheduled for June 7, 2025, at the Akazi Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, then at the University of Nairobi and the University of California and Irvine in November 2025. His family has also planned a private ceremony in his ethic background ,Gĩtogothi, Limuru, Kenya.

Though Ngugi is dead, his soul is still alive with us, in his literal works, speaking those ancient words that foresaw the liberation of Africa through the portal of language.