The family of renowned Kenyan scholar and author Prof Ngugi wa Thiong'o has discredited an article published by The Guardian that claimed he is sick and lonely in the United States. The article alleged that Prof Ngugi, 85, was going through a divorce with his second wife, Ms Njeeri wa Thiong'o, and had moved out of their shared home in University Hills, Irvine, California.
Mukoma wa Ngugi, one of Mr. Thiong'o's children, has dismissed the article, questioning its ethical standards and the inclusion of unnecessary and gossipy details. In a statement, Mukoma criticized the article for lacking journalistic integrity and focusing on gratuitous information.
The article stated that the esteemed author is suffering from kidney failure and receiving medical care at his California residence. The author of the article also claimed that Prof Ngugi recently underwent surgery.
Ms Njeeri holds the position of Director of Human Resource Faculty and Staff Conflict Resolution Services at the University of California, Irvine, where Prof Ngugi is a Distinguished Professor in the Comparative Literature School of Humanities.
The article included passages describing the writer's apprehension and personal experience when approaching Prof Ngugi's residence in California. It mentioned a suggestion made by Prof Ngugi to stay together to facilitate communication, although acknowledging that it deviated from the journalist's intended objective of maintaining professional objectivity.