NGUGI WA THIONG’O’S SON MUKOMA EXPOSES FATHER’S DOMESTIC ABUSE

Mukoma Wa Ngugi, acclaimed author and son of renowned writer Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, bravely shares his personal story of witnessing domestic violence in his family. 

In a candid statement, Ngugi reveals the painful memories of his late mother enduring physical abuse at the hands of his father. Mukoma recounts the distressing scenes from his childhood of how his father would subject his mother to violent attacks. 

He vividly remembers visiting his mother at his grandmother’s home, where she sought refuge from the abuse. “My father 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.” He wrote.

One of his followers, Murithi Magiri, criticised him for publicly addressing his father’s actions. “Never condemn your parents unheard. You never know what the old man was going through. You never know what brought them together. Their cultural backgrounds and socialisation were also different at that time. The fights between parents are best left to them, unless your intervention can save a life. Lastly, your father and mother are who you are. Learn from their mistakes and move on.”