Literary luminary and esteemed wordsmith, Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, is set to receive a prestigious honour from the Kenyan diaspora, organized by the Kenya Diaspora Alliance-USA (KDA-USA).

This grand ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, June 22 will unfold at Georgia State University in Atlanta, United States.

It promises to be a momentous occasion where Kenyans residing in the US and Canada will converge to pay tribute to the acclaimed Kenyan novelist.

Known globally and over the years considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o will finally receive the recognition he so richly deserves.

Dr. Saisi Marasa, the founding president of KDA-USA, expressed excitement about the upcoming event, highlighting its role in uniting scholars, students, and the broader Kenyan and African communities across America.

“He is the most deserving, a globally recognised and celebrated author all over the world, but he is yet to be recognised with a commendation by his country of birth. This is a shame. If he died today, he will be given a state burial,” Dr Marasa said.

This celebration not only honors Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s profound literary contributions but also underscores the cultural and intellectual vibrancy of the diaspora community.

Dr Marasa emphasized that Ngugi’s advocacy for Pan-Africanism, his relentless pursuit of an authentic African identity, and his promotion of African languages and cultures deserve significant recognition.

Prof. Ngugi’s fervent advocacy for African languages has sparked enduring debate within the global literary community for decades, polarizing opinions into supportive, opposing, and ambivalent camps.

For over a decade, Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s name has consistently appeared on the shortlists for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He stands poised to potentially become the second black African laureate after Wole Soyinka, who won the prestigious award in 1986.