Kisia Slams Leaders Over Hypocrisy in Mourning Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia has called out Kenyan leaders for mourning literary icon Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o with what he described as insincere displays of grief, accusing them of shedding crocodile tears over a man they ignored and dishonoured during his lifetime.

Speaking on a popular podcast aired Friday, May 30, 2025, Kisia criticised successive governments and political figures who, despite now praising Ngũgĩ, did nothing to acknowledge or apologise for the injustices he suffered—wrongs that ultimately forced the celebrated writer into exile.

“What disturbed me is the fact that I saw some people shedding crocodile tears. This man has suffered under successive regimes. No regime has apologised to him for humiliating Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o until he had to run away from this country. He has been here, and he has not been honoured,” Kisia said.

He lamented that despite Ngũgĩ’s global acclaim as a literary titan, he was never honoured with state awards such as the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) or Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH). Instead, Kisia noted, such accolades were often handed to individuals who would not qualify for them in a truly just society.

“Even Ngũgĩ was never honoured in his lifetime. He was not given his roses when he could smell them. Even state recommendations like EBS and EGH were not awarded to him. Yet some people, had it been a civilised society, would not have received such awards. But despite Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o being a literary titan, he was never honoured,” Kisia noted.

He added that a review of the list of state honorees in Kenya reveals glaring gaps in merit. “If you look at the list of people who have been honoured with state awards, some of those fellows in a civilised society would not qualify. The least is head of state commendations; they would not be getting them. But in Kenya, you can get anything. You find a buffoon holding an EGH. It only happens in Kenya.”

According to Kisia, the mourning by political leaders is not genuine. He insisted that these leaders had many chances to celebrate and honour Prof. Ngũgĩ while he was still alive—but they chose silence.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o passed away on May 28, 2025, at the age of 87 in Buford, Georgia, USA. The news of his death was first shared by his daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ, in a heartfelt Facebook post: “He lived a full life and fought a good fight.” His son, Nducu wa Ngũgĩ, later confirmed that the renowned writer had died in hospital, where he had been undergoing kidney dialysis. Ngũgĩ had faced numerous health challenges over the years, including surviving prostate cancer in 1995 and undergoing triple bypass heart surgery in 2019.

Kisia’s remarks now serve as a sobering reminder: while Kenyans join the world in celebrating Ngũgĩ’s legacy, it’s equally important to reflect on how the nation treated him while he was still alive. Honouring heroes posthumously is not enough—true respect means recognising them when they can still hear the applause.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.