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BY CAROLINE NYANGA
Hardly a week after his grand burial that saw thousands of mourners from all walks of life in attendance, reports of Congolese music legend Papa Wemba’s heavily pregnant teenage ‘girlfriend’ has since emerged in various social media platforms drawing different reactions from his music fans across the world.
According to reports by various social media platforms the girl in question who declined to mention her name claims to have had a long term relationship with the late King of Rhumba.
She even went ahead to send cozy pictures of the two of them together in her face book wall.
It is further claimed that the teenage girl who at some point declared their love affair in Paris way back is yet to come to terms with the fact that her celebrity ‘lover’ and the ‘father of her child’ is no more.
According to her not only will be her unborn baby have the chance to meet his celebrity father- (a man who not only redefined the Congolese music making it acceptable across the world but also had many hits under his name)- but the question lies in their future ahead.
Meanwhile, as news of Papa Wemba’s illegitimate affair continues to make news his family seem less bothered by it.
Speaking from Paris with a locally based Congolese promoter alongside this writer, Papa Wemba’s wife with whom they bore six children has rubbished the claims as a ploy to tarnish her family including her deceased husband’s name.
People are a bound to say anything when one is gone for reasons best known to them. Why did she have to wait until my husband dies in order to come up with these allegations?,” she poses adding that there is need to respect the dead.
According to her Papa Wemba had many ‘enemies’ owing to his popularity and hence they are bound to come up with anything once he is gone.
But a close source from source from DRC including a number of renowned Congolese musicians see nothing wrong with the news. According to them such things happens with a number of renowned celebrities across the world and hence there is no need of people capitalizing on the late Papa Wemba’s personal life at their own gain.
“ No one is perfect- not even the various media personalities who have decided to capitalize on the late Papa Wemba’s story,” said the source.
To many Congolese and even Papa Wemba’s Kenyan music fans the music legend often referred to himself as Papa ya bana ebele ( A Congolese word meaning a father of many kids) something he appeared proud of.
During one of his interviews with this writer when he visited Kenya Papa Wemba openly stated that he was a father of many kids and that he was contented with it.
It was also during the time that the musician reportedly met one of his daughters whom he had not seen in many years during his performance in Nairobi and they were said to have reunited.
Despite all said and done we are not in a position to pass any judgment hoping that someday truth will prevail.
