Prof .Ngugiwathiongo Presents Public Lecture

Prof .Ngugi wa Thiongo Presents Public Lecture

Renowned author and literary professor, Ngugi wa Thiong’o on June 11, 2015 presented a memorable public lecture at Taifa Hall, Main Campus.

The Lecture organized by the University of Nairobi in collaboration with the East African Educational Publishers (EAP) was also an occasion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ngugi’s novel, “Weep Not Child.”

In his lecture titled, “Planes Must Fly” Prof. Ngugi said that he was happy to be home after 23 years of exile abroad. “The reception has been tremendous from Kenyans of all walks of life and I am extremely grateful for that.”

Prof Ngugi noted that unlike in the past, the space of democracy was widening in Kenya. He challenged the government and other leaders to accept divergent opinion because it represents the voice of the people. “The difference of opinion should be the cornerstone of the Kenyan people because you can’t learn anything new from those who agreed with you all the time.” Prof. Ngugi also observed that the freedom we are enjoying today is as a result of the many sacrifices made by selfless individuals who suffered torture to death, faced jail terms, psychological torture or were forced to exile for the fear of losing their lives. The celebrated author also one of the finest in Africa, challenged the Kenyan people to stand out for the rights, “The culture of silence and fear should not be the order of the day and you should not be deceived by skyscrapers, take time to also look down.”

Prof. Ngugi, who is currently a distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California lamented that although Africa had contributed immensely to the prosperous future of Europe since the colonial times, Africa still lagged behind in development because it fails to utilize its own resources preferring to rent out to foreigners.

On his part, the University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Peter Mbithi noted that the 50 years celebration of the literary works by Prof. Ngugi wa Thiongo was indeed an honor for the University. Quoting from one of Prof. Ngugi's books - Decolonizing the mind, Prof. Mbithi also noted that after decolonizing the mind, human progress becomes possible.