Why Ngugi wa Thiongo is being blamed for Kiswahili struggles

Renowned author late Prof Ngugi wa Thiong'o during the launch of his book Kenda Muiyuru. [File, Standard]

Earlier this week, my friend and former colleague Enock Matundura penned a provocative piece in his Taifa Leo column about the growth of Kiswahili and the sins, real and imagined, he feels the late Ngugi wa Thiong’o committed against the growth of the language.

In his epistle, Matundura accused Ngugi of hypocrisy and only paying lip service when it comes to the promotion of Kiswahili, as he had promised at the time he famously ditched writing in English.