Mukoma wa Ngugi says he learnt of his father’s illness and death through a sibling
Author and Professor Mukoma wa Ngugi has revealed that he only found out about the deteriorating health and subsequent death of his father, celebrated Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o, through a call from one of his brothers.
Speaking in an interview with a local media station on June 6, 2025, Mukoma admitted that he would likely have discovered the news through social media had it not been for that single conversation.
“I would have known he was dying through social media, except for one brother who told me, ‘Hey, things are getting really bad now,’” he said.
Mukoma further disclosed that he learnt about his father’s cremation in the US only after it had happened.
“I didn’t know he had gone and cremated; it started a whole family feud,” he stated.
Falling out
Mukoma attributed the distance to a longstanding family rift stemming from his public accusations that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o had physically abused his mother, Nyambura.
He noted that the relationship was never mended and described their final years as tense and estranged.
“I can’t lie and say we spent the last few months laughing… We had a falling out. And we never recovered from that. So I actually didn’t know he was dying until one of my brothers called me and said that he’s actually dying,” he recalled.
Mukoma mentioned that speaking out about the abuse caused divisions not only within the family but also in the public eye.
“It was full of tension. Yeah, and our family divided,” he said.
“There was a lot of division even on Twitter and social media and so on and so forth,” he added.
Despite the painful circumstances, Mukoma defended his decision to speak out, expressing no regrets.
“One thing I can say about that is, for me, I told the truth. My conscience is clean. There’s nothing more… In a way, he brought me up to be a truth teller as best as I can,” he stated.
Complex relationship
Reflecting on the complex legacy of his father, Mukoma acknowledged both love and pain.
“I think we have to admit to ourselves that there’s no human being without a contradiction. And most families have their issues. Like any human being – me, you, anybody who’s listening to this – we come with our contradictions, right?” he shared.
The university professor said he has since made peace with the contradictions in his father’s legacy and in human nature more broadly.
“All I can say is I love him. In spite of that, I just love him. He’s my father; there isn’t more to it. I’m sorry that we didn’t talk for the last three or four years, but I told my truth,” he stated.
“I’m sure when my daughter grows up, if you do a similar interview with her, she’ll have her own issues with me, as you will with your parents, as anybody else will. So, yeah, human beings, we have contradictions. There isn’t much more to it,” he added.
