Ngugi Wa Thiong'o , seated extreme right; Steve Wonder, standing extreme right, behind Ngugi; John Kerry, standing extreme left. Photo/Yale University.Professor Ngugi wa Thiong'o received his 12th honorary degree; Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) from the Yale University.
During the institutions 316th graduation ceremony on May 22, Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o was honoured alongside seven other prominent personalities including John Kerry, former US Secretary of State, and Steve Wonder, the musician celebrated for among others, being the first African American to win an Oscar for Best Original Song, the 1984 hit single, 'I Just Called to Say I Love You.'
Prof Ngugi, an indefatigable Kenyan author, playwright, editor, social activist and academic published by East African Educational Publishers (EAEP), spent 22 years in exile for his contentious political work.
His vocal advocacy for the common man and sharp criticism of injustices in post-colonial Kenya saw him imprisoned without charge in 1977. His release was secured in 1978 after Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience.
Although barred from working at colleges or universities in the country, Ngugi kept up his passionate and prolific writing even after his exile in 1982, with most of his work revolving around the politics of culture in post-colonial Africa as well as the Caribbean.