David Dominic Mwangi (27 December 1948 â 11 December 2025), known by his pen name, Meja Mwangi, was a Kenyan writer. Apart from writing books, he worked in the film industry, including in screenwriting, assistant directing, and casting.
Mwangi was born David Dominic Mwangi in Nanyuki, Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, and was educated at Nanyuki Secondary School, Kenyatta College, and briefly at the University of Leeds. He then worked for the French Broadcasting Corporation doing odd jobs and the British Council in Nairobi as Visual Aids Officer, before turning to writing full-time. He was Fellow in Writing at the University of Iowa (1975âÂÂ76).
After a long tenure on Kenya's and Africa's publishing scene, Mwangi moved to the United States, having gained international recognition and won several awards.
His best-known early work includes the novels Kill Me Quick (1973), Going Down River Road (1976), and The Cockroach Dance (1979), which illustrate the urban landscapes of Kenya, the struggle against poverty, and the AIDS epidemic.
Mwangi died in Malindi, Kenya, on 11 December 2025, at the age of 76.