The Kenyan gospel music industry is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved vernacular artists, Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua, famously known as Betty Bayo.
Reports circulating on social media confirm the death of the renowned Kikuyu gospel singer and businesswoman.
Bayo reportedly passed away while receiving medical treatment for blood cancer at Kenyatta National Hospital, her family confirmed.
Battle with Illness
Sources close to the family indicate that the "11th Hour" hitmaker had been battling illness for a while.
She leaves behind a legacy as a contributing force in the growth of the gospel music industry. Her death has caused great shock to many who knew her for her warmth and deep faith.
Career and Legacy
Betty Bayo came to prominence after releasing her hit song "Eleventh Hour". She gained widespread popularity around 2013 with her album, also titled 11th Hour.
Despite an initial reluctance to focus on vernacular songs, the success of "11th Hour"—a Kikuyu track—was instant. It was the song that made her album a bestseller.
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Her well-known songs also include "Thiiri," "Busy Busy," and "Uira". Betty Bayo has amassed over 20,000,000 views on YouTube.
Betty Bayo was an ex-partner to controversial city pastor Victor Kanyari, with whom they shares 2 children.
Betty Bayo and Kanyari's relationship came to an end in 2015, a separation that was widely publicized following KTN’s Jicho Pevu expose about him.
Since then, Bayo has sought to move on and build a new life with Tash, andwith him, they made things official in 2021.
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