Umwanditsi w’Umunya-Kenya wubatse izina ku ruhando mpuzamahanga, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, yapfuye kuri uyu wa Gatatu, tariki 28 Gicurasi 2025, afite imyaka 87.
Ni amakuru yatangajwe n’umukobwa we, Wanjiku Wa Ngugi, abinyujije ku rukuta rwe rwa Facebook, avuga ko andi makuru atangazwa neza n’umuvugizi w’umuryango wabo, Nducu Wa Ngugi.
Yagize ati “Tubabajwe cyane no kubabikira urupfu rwa data, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, kuri uyu wa Gatatu mu gitondo, tariki 28 Gicurasi 2025. Yabayeho ubuzima bwuzuye, yarwanye intambara nziza. Nk’uko cyari icyifuzo cye cya nyuma, reka twizihize ubuzima bwe n’ibyo yakoze. Mu byishimo n’agahinda. Dutewe ishema!”
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o ni umwe mu banditsi bakomeye cyane umugabane wa Afurika wagize. Azwi cyane kubera ubuvanganzo bwe bwibanda ku kwamagana ubukoloni, gushishikariza Abanyafurika gukoresha indimi zabo no gutanga isura nyayo y’ibibazo Afurika yahuye na byo mu mateka yayo.
Ngũgĩ, yavutse ku wa 5 Mutarama 1938 mu gace ka Kamiriithu mu Ntara ya Kiambu muri Kenya, yabaye ikirangirire binyuze mu bitabo bye byagiye bisohoka kuva mu myaka ya 1960.
Yakuriye muri Kenya mu gihe cy’ubukoloni bw’Abongereza, ibintu byagize uruhare rukomeye ku bitekerezo bye n’uburyo yagiye yandika. Yize muri Kaminuza ya Makerere i Kampala muri Uganda, mbere yo gukomereza muri Kaminuza ya Leeds mu Bwongereza.
Mu 1964, yasohoye igitabo cye cya mbere yise “Weep Not, Child”, cyabaye igitabo cya mbere cyanditswe n’Umuntu wo muri Afurika y’Iburasirazuba mu Cyongereza kikajya ahabona. Icyo gitabo, kimwe n’ibindi nka “The River Between (1965)”, “A Grain of Wheat (1967)” na “Petals of Blood (1977)”, byatumye agira izina rikomeye mu banditsi ba Afurika baharanira impinduka.
Mu 1977, yanditse igitabo kirimo umukino cya “Ngaahika Ndeenda” (I Will Marry When I Want) gifatanyije na Ngũgĩ wa Mirii, cyavugaga ku burenganzira bwa rubanda n’akarengane. Icyo gitabo cyatumye afungwa umwaka wose nta rubanza, aho yari mu buroko ni ho yandikiye icyo yise “Devil on the Cross”.
Icyo gihe ni na bwo yafashe umwanzuro wo gusezera burundu ku kwandika mu Cyongereza, atangira kwandika mu rurimi rw’Iki-Kikuyu, nk’uburyo bwo guharanira ubusugire bw’umuco n’indangagaciro z’Abanyafurika.
Ngũgĩ yabayeho mu buhungiro mu Bwongereza no muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, aho yakomeje kwigisha muri za kaminuza zitandukanye nka Yale na University of California, Irvine.
Yanditse ibitabo byinshi by’ubusesenguzi birimo “Decolonising the Mind (1986)”, agira uruhare rukomeye mu gushishikariza abanyafurika gutekereza ku bwigenge bwabo mu buryo burambye.
Nubwo agiye ataratsindira igihembo cya Nobel mu buvanganzo, yari amaze igihe kirekire ari ku rutonde rw’abahabwa amahirwe yo kucyegukana, ndetse akaba amaze kubona ibihembo mpuzamahanga birenze kimwe kubera uruhare rwe mu guteza imbere ubuvanganzo bw’Afurika.
Ngugi yari acyandika kandi atanga ibiganiro mpuzamahanga, ndetse yafatwaga nk’umwe mu banditsi bafite ijwi rikomeye mu guharanira Afurika yisanzuye, yihesha agaciro binyuze mu ndimi zayo, umuco wayo n’amateka yayo.
