President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has appealed to prominent writer, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, to return to his home country after 22 years on a self-imposed exile in the United States (US).
Speaking when he played host to the literary icon at the Kenyan state house in Nairobi on Monday, the president said Kenya had become a “land of opportunity”.
“This is not the Kenya of yesterday but a Kenya that needs all your talents. It is time for you to come back and help us build the country,” he said.
“We need all Kenyans to participate in improving our society because no single person or community has the answer, but as a united group we have all the answers.”
Advertisement
According to TheStar, a Kenyan newspaper, Thiong’o expressed happiness with the transformation taking place in the southeast African country.
“For the first time, I met government officials who were not talking down at the people but seeking out and engaging with respect,” Thiong’o said.
“It is really a great feeling when you feel your government is recognising and acknowledging you.”
Advertisement
The professor of comparative literature urged Kenyatta to promote local languages in the country and to also prohibit punishment of students who speak their mother tongue in schools.
“Draw from all the cultures of Kenya to build a leading nation. Nothing stops Kenya from being the leading nation in the world,” he said.
Jomo Kenyatta, father of the current president, who was an autocrat in Kenya, had imprisoned the writer after he staged Ngaahika Ndeenda, a play that was critical of the government.
Amnesty International adopted Thong’o as a prisoner of conscience.
Advertisement
When he regained freedom, Thiong’o fled Kenya to teach at Yale University in the United States (US) for some years, before lecturing at New York University.
He has a dual professorship in comparative literature and performance studies.
Add a comment
