Renowned author Ngugi wa Thiong'o defends mother tongue use in schools

Author Ngugi wa Thiong'o during an interview with the Standard. [Beverlyne Musili/Standard]

Kenya's literary giant Ngugi wa Thiong'o has described as criminal the tendency by schools and parents to beat up children who use mother tongue in schools.

The award-winning author and scholar said he was saddened by the tendency and hypocrisy of parents who are proud when their children cannot not speak mother tongue, mistakenly taking this as a sign of modernity.