It’s Not About Death, But Legacy
By: Mahir Balunywa
Center for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis
30/5/2025
DOES DEATH MATTER?
To die is to stop being alive. It is the cessation of all biological functions that sustain life. From ancient practices like mummification and sky burials to modern rituals and scientific understanding, death has often been viewed as a transition—not total extinction.
In academia, death is about “legacy”. That is what we all crave—to leave behind something worth remembering. To die is to be forgotten; to live is to be remembered after death. We are celebrated for the values we upheld and the works we left behind for both current and future generations.
INTRODUCTION
My first and only encounter with “Ngugi wa Thiong’o” was in 2004 during his visit to his alma mater, Makerere University, at the invitation of the Department of Literature, as part of his homecoming tour.
At the time, there was tension between the Departments of Political Science and Literature over who should take the lead in hosting him. Within Political Science, opinions were divided: some labeled him a literary scholar; others viewed him as a Marxist intellectual.
As a young teaching assistant in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, under the mentorship of Dr. Yasin Olum and Dr. Tabitha Mulyampiti, I found myself torn between attending Ngugi’s public lecture and joining Prof. Mahmood Mamdani’s newly formed discussion group on politics and culture. Mamdani, who had just returned from Colombia, remarked, “If you want to appreciate Ngugi’s work, I would implore you to read Marx’s “Das Kapital” , in its three volumes published in 1867, 1885, and 1894. I’ll introduce them to you next week.”
Mamdani’s intention was to sway us away from Ngugi’s lecture. However, enthusiasm among our peers—including Okello Ogwang, Monica Chibita, Andrew Mwenda, and Sallie Kayunga—was high. The discussion group gave way to the excitement around Ngugi’s visit.
In a bid to gain Ngugi’s attention, I joined a small group led by Dr. Yasin Olum to meet him before the lecture. As Dr. Olum greeted him, I followed suit. In the ten minutes I stood near him, I realized Ngugi was not merely a literary icon; he was an advocate of “people power”.
He spoke slowly but emphatically. One couldn’t help but wonder: if he lived through Uganda’s current political turbulence, which side of ideology would he take? Would he have survived tear gas? Would he be allowed to speak freely? Would his audience be infiltrated by state agents?
Shortly after, an entourage from the Department of Literature, led by Abasi Kiyimba, arrived to escort their guest to the Makerere Main Hall. From their body language, it was evident that they sought to guard their turf from Political Science’s influence.
At the Main Hall, we found every seat occupied—many by government officials, security operatives, and political activists. I stood for two hours listening. At the end, I was convinced: Ngugi wa Thiong’o was not simply a literary scholar; he was a devoted student of “Karl Marx”.
NGUGI WAS, ABOVE ALL, A STUDENT OF MARX
Ngugi’s intellectual foundation was deeply rooted in Marxist ideology. His critiques of capitalism, his passion for justice, and his commitment to the oppressed were unmistakably Marxist. He portrayed the conflict between the wealthy elite and the working class, reflecting Marx’s emphasis on exploitation and inequality.
Drawing from historical materialism, he highlighted how economic structures shape social relations and political power. His revolutionary spirit encouraged the masses to rise against injustice. In “Decolonising the Mind”, he condemned the gulf between African intellectuals and the masses they claimed to represent.
Ngugi never bowed to oppression. In 1977, he was imprisoned and later exiled by the Moi regime for challenging post-independence leadership and elitism.
Among his notable works are “Wizard of the Crow”, “Petals of Blood” , “Matigari”, “Devil on the Cross” , and “A Grain of Wheat”. Each of these writings is laced with Marxist themes—class struggle, resistance, and the fight for liberation.
Even in prison, Ngugi’s Marxist commitment persisted. He wrote “Devil on the Cross” on toilet paper while incarcerated. In “I Will Marry When I Want” , he explores the intersections of class and religion, arguing that independence merely ushered in new forms of dictatorship. In Petals of Blood, he urges individuals to fight for the fruits of their own labor.
THE RELEVANCE OF NGUGI’S WORK TODAY
Though Ngugi is physically gone—as confirmed by his daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngugi—his Marxist ideology remains alive and relevant to contemporary politics and governance. Perhaps this explains the unusually high number of security agents who attended his Makerere lecture.
Like Marx, Ngugi is not dead. As Thomas Aquinas once said, “The reality of life after death is not merely a speculative curiosity, but the fulfillment of the human person’s ultimate purpose.” In essence, great thinkers never die—they live on through their ideas.
Shortly after his return to Kenya, thugs broke into his apartment and raped his wife, Njeri. The Mwai Kibaki government did nothing. I will always remember this injustice: that a man who worked tirelessly to free the Kenyan mind from oppression received such a bitter reward. And yet, that pain did not erase his legacy.
CONCLUSION
Ngugi wa Thiong’o is no longer physically with us. But there was nothing in his message that was merely literary. He was a political theorist who used literature to advance Marxist ideals. Like Marx, Ngugi lives on. The dead live through their ideas.
The history of death teaches us how societies grapple with the finite. Some believe Ngugi is not dead but in transition. His works will remain relevant for generations to come. As his daughter said, “Ngugi lived a full life and fought a good fight.” I would add: like Marx, he left behind a blueprint for revolutionaries to continue the struggle—to liberate the oppressed, wherever they may be.