Why DPP wants DCI to investigate Betty Bayo's death

Gospel musician Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua, known as Betty Bayo.[File, Standard]

The Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe the death of gospel musician Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua, popularly known as Betty Bayo.

In a directive dated December 17, 2025, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jacinta Nyamosi, acting on behalf of DPP Renson Ingonga, instructed that a report on the investigation be submitted within seven days.

The move follows a complaint from the late musician's mother, Joyce Wairimu Mbugua, submitted through her lawyer Geoffrey Omenke.

In her letter to the DPP dated December 9, 2025, Wairimu demanded an inquest into the sudden and unexplained death of her daughter last month.

"The family has had to go through unbearable pain in accepting the fact that the deceased (Betty), who had never exhibited any illness, would just die mysteriously. The family suspects an evil hand in the death of the deceased," Wairimu stated in the letter to the DPP.

The DPP's directive to the DCI notes:" Upon perusal of the letter, we note the following issues: first, that there is suspicion surrounding the death of the deceased; second, that the deceased did not have a history of any underlying condition; and third, that the family has raised concerns regarding the autopsy."

According to the letter, the family raised serious concerns over the circumstances surrounding Betty's death

In her letter, Wairimu, who resides in the United States and did not attend her daughter's burial, noted that Betty had shown no signs of illness that would indicate a life-threatening condition, adding that she had been denied access to medical records and autopsy information.

She believes the circumstances of Betty's death require an independent investigation, including the exhumation and postmortem of the deceased.

The mother also alleged that her daughter was hurriedly buried, raising fears of a potential cover-up, and emphasised that details of her treatment had been withheld.

The DPP has directed the DCI to investigate the allegations in line with the ODPP's constitutional mandate under Article 157 and to submit a resultant file within seven days.

"The allegations must be investigated promptly in line with the ODPP's constitutional mandate," Deputy DPP Nyamosi emphasised in the directive.

Betty Bayo, aged 36, died on Monday, November 10, 2025, at approximately 1:03 p.m. at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi after battling blood cancer (leukemia).

Her body was transferred the following day to the Kenyatta University Referral Hospital mortuary before being buried at her Mugumo farm in Kiambu County.

At the time of her death, Betty had remarried Hiram Gitau, also known as "Tash," after parting ways with Pastor Victor Kanyari.