Mr. president, probe the mysterious death of our upcoming musicians

Mr. President-Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, it’s just a month ago when you donated 0.5miliion Ksh. towards the death of Salim Junior – one-man-guitar’ Musician who was laid to rest at his rural home in Subukia.

The rate at which our new upcoming musicians are dying mysteriously is a worrying trend! Unfortunately, their deaths are associated with drugs, murder, suicide or incurable/untreatable diseases! One wonders whether music industry in Kenya is a ticket to this heinous act of death! We see them “coming and shining”, but later we also see them “fading and dying” and the rate at which this happens is indeed worrying!

The latest news of a sister to the late gospel songstress Angela Chibalonza who died in a car crash in 2008 that she was on Saturday night found dead in her house is intriguing. Mammy Runiga is allegedly to have died in her apartment in Nairobi's Nyayo estate Embakasi. Neighbors described her as a spitting image of her late sister Chibalonza whose music has continued to rock the airwaves long after she had died. Embakasi OCPD Apollo Wanyonyi said they are investigating to establish what caused the death. "We are yet to know how she died but the family says there was a jiko that was burning in the house. Experts are on the ground gathering more information," said Wanyonyi. This trend is worrying.

In January 2016, another popular Kalenjin secular Singer Dianah Chelele was found murdered in her rural home in Kapkwen, Bomet County.  The musician, known for her classic Kipsigis hit songs, was found lifeless at her home with villagers terming the death a shock to the entire community. Police reports indicated the incident saying deep cuts had been found on her body and was treating the case as murder. This came barely four months after the singer was admitted to Nakuru General Hospital for attempted suicide. This trend is worrying.

The three cases above are just but an example of many deaths of our lovely musicians who are dying through mysteries ways. Remember these are new upcoming musicians and many of them have been associated with either murder or suicide! One therefore is left wondering: are musicians agents of murder or suicide? Why are they associated with this heineuios are acts? Are they desperate or traumatized? What might be eaten g our m\musicians?   Indeed, it’s unfortunate that they are dying \at their prime years and this no good to our country’s future.

Musicians should take care of their lives and surrender their work and live to good service to God and humanity. They need to regularly visit their spiritual leaders and counselors for prayers and counseling because this trend is worrying! They should also avoid drugs and extreme luxuries that opens the wounds of death. They should take care of their lives and belief in God for their success. Trauma and its associated disorders is real and there, to tame this, they need to keep in touch with reality and know that in God there is hope!

Dr. Njenga, Solomon Chair – Governance, Peace and Security Studies Africa Nazarene University, Kenya