Righting land wrongs with the pen: The leadership of Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Ken Saro Wiwa

Abstract

This article analyses the leadership of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Ken Saro Wiwa in the protection of indigenous communities’ land rights in Kenya and Nigeria respectively. It uses a case study and ‘leadership as process’ approach to focus on events and actions by Ngugi and Saro Wiwa, alongside the Kamiriithu and Ogoni communities in 1976 – 1982 and 1990 - 1995, respectively. In the case of Kenya, the Kamiriithu community did not attain their land rights and other freedoms following the Ngugi-led activism. Instead, the Kenyan government turned to further repression of individual and collective rights. In Nigeria, Saro-Wiwa was hanged after a trial marred with irregularities. However, oil exploitation activities on land belonging to the Ogoni ceased. There has been progress in holding Shell legally accountable for environmental degradation and a study on the extent of damage done to the ecology has been undertaken. Both writers, despite different outcomes to their activism, played leadership roles in their communities’ struggle for land rights. Their creative writing abilities and achievements played a role in their emergence as leaders and strategies for leadership.