Author Ngugi wa Thiong'o with his daughter Wanjiku wa Ngugi. PHOTO | FILE
The Kenyan scholarly community is proud to celebrate the achievements of Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who is celebrating 50 years since his first novel was published. As a literary giant and a public intellectual, Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o is not new to Kenyans, and many are motivated to be part of his great story and achievements from his humble beginnings in Kamirithu, Limuru.
Besides
Ali A. Mazrui, Ngugi remains perhaps one of the most famous Kenyan
scholars internationally. He is without doubt the father of Kenyan
literature and wrestles for the continental title with great Chinua
Achebe. Many Kenyans were weaned on his novels from high school to
university. He can rightfully be said to be one of the most visible
public intellectuals in Kenya and has been engaged in issues of social
justice, some of which got him detained.
I
have never hidden my admiration for Ngugi, who helped produce the first
generation of Kenyan scholars and pioneered in weaving literature with
history in post-modern and post-colonial lenses before the post-colonial
era. Some of the best illustrations of the history of Mau Mau and
history of the peasantry and hoi polloi in Kenya have come to us through
his works.
When I joined the
University of Nairobi in the 1980s, Ngugi was one of the most famous
names besides B.A Ogot, Godfrey Muriuki, Chris Wanjala, Gideon S. Were,
Micere Mugo, Philip Mbithi, and Peter Anyumba, among others.
Literature
was huge there at the time because it had famous names such as Ngugi,
Micere Mugo, Okot p’Bitek, Taban Liyong, Chris Wanjala, Henry Indangasi,
and Peter Anyumba, among others.
When
James Ngugi dropped his Christian name, to become simply Ngugi wa
Thiong’o, the shift in names of students at the university was visible,
and continues to this day.
Ngugi is
distinguished for stirring up some of the greatest global debates, such
as his take on the use of vernacular as a better way of driving debate
from the point of advantage. His argument that linguistic colonialism is
the starting form of all kinds of exploitation remains relevant. The
global linguistic hegemony exhibited by major linguistic blocs has
vindicated Ngugi. The rise of China, Japan, Korea and other powers that
have championed their own languages in technology have proved that,
perhaps, Ngugi was right to ask us to rethink our own languages as tools
of development.
Ngugi has also been
regarded as one of the leading proponents of the post-colonial and
post-modern theories of development through his take on the perpetuation
of post-colonial exploitation after independence, famously known as
neo-colonialism of the mind. He is often mentioned alongside dependency
theory scholars such as Walter Rodney, Samir Amin, and Frantz Fanon,
among others.
Eyebrows were raised
when we announced to the world that Ngugi would come to give a public
lecture at Kisii University, at Sagini Hall, on August 31, 2015 at 2pm.
Why did he choose a rural outpost such as Kisii University? Why not the University of Nairobi or Kenyatta University?
What
many of our detractors did not know is that Ngugi wa Thiong’o does not
use the same yardstick as theirs to measure where he is needed and where
he needs to go. I assume he knew that Nairobi has had a fair share of
famous people, including US President Barack Obama.
NOT SURPRISED
We
were not surprised when Kisii University was selected to host this
famous son of Kenya. Without a doubt, Ngugi may have been guided by
intellectual dynamism outside Nairobi, and Kisii University seemed to
fit the bill.
Kisii University has
great scholars led by the Vice Chancellor Prof John Akama, and has been
holding successful international conferences since it was chartered
three years ago.
It possible Ngugi
wanted to visit and share in this dynamism. Although he is a global
icon, Ngugi likes to be identified with rural places such as Kisii,
because they are similar to Kamirithu in Limuru where he started a rural
theatre that was banned by the state for fear that it would stir a
peasant uprising.
Many will agree
that Taifa Hall at the University of Nairobi has hosted many famous
speakers and has hosted Ngugi about half a dozen times, and Sagini Hall
at Kisii University should also take its pride of place.
Ngugi
will give a public lecture at Kisii University on Monday, August 31,
2015 at 2pm, courtesy of Dr Henry Chakava, the East African Education
Publishers and the government. The lecture will cover issues of
ethnicity, nationalism and devolution and is open to the public. The
discussant for the lecture will be Prof Chris Wanjala of the University
of Nairobi, assisted by Prof Peter Amuka of Moi University. Ngugi taught
Wanjala, who in turn taught Amuka.
Prof Amutabi is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Affairs) of Kisii University. amutabi@yahoo.com
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