My father physically abused my late mother – Author Mukoma Wa Thiongo calls out his famous father, Ngugi Wa Thiongo

Renowned Kenyan author Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's son, Mukoma Wa Thiong'o, has revealed that his father physically abused his first wife, Nyambura.

Mukoma shared this revelation on social media, expressing how his earliest memories include visiting his mother at his grandmother's place, where she sought refuge from the abuse.

He wrote: "My father @NgugiWaThiongo physically abused my late mother - he would beat her up. Some of my earliest memories are me going to visit her at my grandmother’s where she would seek refuge. But with that said it is the silencing of who she was that gets me. Ok- I have said it."

This isn't the first time Mukoma has spoken out about his mother's story being silenced. In 2022, he expressed his anguish over his late mother, Nyambura, being systematically erased from Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's narrative.

Ngugi, a celebrated Kenyan writer, married Nyambura in 1987, and they had six children together. Their marriage faced challenges due to political persecutions, and Nyambura passed away in 1995.

Ngugi later married Njeri, with whom he had two children before their separation last year. He currently resides in California, where he is battling kidney failure and undergoes regular medical treatment.

Nyambura's absence from Ngugi's public narrative has been a source of frustration for Mukoma, who is determined to ensure her story is not erased from history.