Kenyan author Meja Mwangi passed away in Malindi on Thursday, December 11, 2025. He was 76.
Born David Dominic Mwangi in Nanyuki on December 27, 1948, Mwangi was educated at Nanyuki Secondary School and Kenyatta College, followed by brief studies at the University of Leeds. He began his career working for the French Broadcasting Corporation and later served as Visual Aids Officer at the British Council in Nairobi before dedicating himself to writing.
His prolific literary career spanned over half a century, beginning with his acclaimed 1973 debut, Kill Me Quick. He became one of Kenya’s most distinguished writers, producing a rich body of work for both adults and children. His other titles included Carcass for Hounds (1974), Taste of Death (1975), Going Down River Road (1976), The Bushtrackers (1979), The Cockroach Dance (1979), Bread of Sorrow (1987), The Return of Shaka (1989), Weapon of Hunger (1989), Jimi the Dog (1990), Striving for the Wind (1992), The Hunter’s Dream (1994), The Last Plague (Vitabu Vya Nyota Series, 2) (1997), Mountain of Bones (2001), The Boy Gift (2006), The Mzungu Boy (2006), Mama Dudu, the Insect Woman (2007), Baba Pesa (2007), The Big Chiefs (2007), Gun Runner (2007), Free?: Stories Celebrating Human Rights (2009), Rafiki – Man Guitar (2013), and Christmas Without Tusker (2015).
Mwangi’s work earned him numerous awards, including the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature (twice), the Lotus Prize for Literature, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, and an American Library Association Notable Children’s Books Award. He also received an honourable mention for the Noma Award and was nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award.
Beyond his novels, Mwangi contributed to film, serving as assistant director for Out of Africa (1985), second assistant director for White Mischief (1987), and casting director for The Kitchen Toto (1988).
A writer who gave voice to the voiceless, Mwangi captured Kenya’s struggles and spirit with unparalleled honesty and power. His death marks another profound loss for Kenyan literature in 2025, a year that has also seen the passing of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, David Mulwa, John Habwe, and Ruo Kimani-Ruo.
Rest in Peace, Meja Mwangi.
Leave a Reply