When I travelled to the United States in April 2025, my schedule was full and my responsibilities many. But one visit stood apart — one that was neither political nor ceremonial, but deeply personal. A pilgrimage of the heart. I had to see Mwalimu Ngugi wa Thiong’o. It was non-negotiable.
Ngugi was not just a writer. To those of us who came of age through his books — The River Between, Weep Not, Child Caitani Mutharaba-ini (Devil on the Cross), Petals of Blood, Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I want) and more — he was a mirror, a mentor, a moral force.
