Daddy Owen. photo credit: Instagram/Daddy Owen
Cheating death!’ One might say. While death lurks at every corner, here are a list of celebrities who have managed to wiggle their way out of the jaws of death. They lived to tell the tales of their narrow escape
Ken Wa Maria
Kamba’s King of Benga music singer was involved in a grisly accident on his way to Ruiru town for a show. According to the musician who is stable and currently undergoing his physiotherapy sessions:
“My survival is a miracle from heaven. If it wasn’t for God, i wouldn’t be alive,” he says.
Daddy Owen
Unfortunately, he is not alone, Gospel singer Daddy Owen two tied the knot five years ago to her long time sweetheart Farida Wambui is no exception.
Although many people assume he has a natural squint in one of his eyes, but it isn’t. It happened from a harrowing experience.
“At the time my family lived in Eastland’s sprawling Umoja estate. I was among a gang of five known to terrorize residents despite my parent’s advice to reform. But, I needed money to use during my countless outings being a reggae fanatic,” he admits.
Daddy Owen. photo credit: Instagram/Daddy OwenEven as a big gang member was being killed he didn’t live his ways for his life, he joined another gang.
Owen almost lost his life along with Church House building near the Bomb blast site in Nairobi, where he was lynched by a huge crowd as he attempted to pickpocket a pedestrian.
“It all happened in a split second. All I remember was lying down surrounded by a huge crowd who beat me up mercilessly. One poked my eyes using a sharp instrument. Meanwhile, I could hear the rest urging someone to bring a car tyre to burn me alive.”
Fortunately, someone knew his family and called his brother, Rufftone and Big Ted to came rescue him from death.
Rufftone explains he could hardly recognize his brother.
“He shunned his bad company and would spend most of his time with me in the studio during the recording of my Mwikhulu album. We even did a song together dubbed By My Side,” says Rufftone.
Size 8
Among the female celebrities who escaped death narrowly, Gospel singer Size 8 says she was afraid her blood pressure would lead to the loss of her life.
“I wouldn’t lie, at some point I was afraid to sleep. I thought I may not wake up, but the holy spirit reminded me of Paul the apostle, who God told he must go to Rome so even when he was found in a shipwreck or the deadly snake bit him, he never was afraid. He knew he can’t die. He must reach Rome because God says he will.” She added
Kate Actress
Not only did singer Size 8 escape death while conceiving, Catherine Kamau is well known as Kate Actress, too escaped narrowly.
From this experience, she refers to herself as ‘Miracle Betty’.
“Child birth is honestly a near death experience… you honestly have one foot in the grave, am still so grateful to God for my little miracle,” said Ms Kamau.
“It’s a beautiful feeling when your story continues to inspire and empower others who because of many circumstances think so little of themselves! I keep saying God is not man. Ask him what his plan for you is, he will guide you!” she added.
Her words come a few months after having her second child with her husband Philip Karanja.
Betty Kyallo
Some accidents leave some dead, maimed or in TV siren Betty Kyalo’s case, narrowly having escaped death and survived 7 surgeries to keep telling the story, a story that not many know.
According to Betty, she was hit by a ‘Matatu’ when she was in form three in 2005.
“My whole left side of my face is scraped off including my neck so this part healed after a year…” she says. From this experience, she refers to herself as ‘miracle Betty’.
Nameless
Popular Kenyan musician David Mathenge shared in detail his near brush with death in September 2017.
“I was in a board meeting, it was for PRISK. It was quite an intense board meeting that went on for about five or six hours. Then I started getting weird sensations in my throat. I thought if I drink water or sprite it’ll ease, I felt it creeping into my head. It was like bubbling.
“I started feeling a thumping and people who were in the boardroom were like hey are you ok? I told them I am not feeling good and I need to leave. I walked down the stairs, just in that short time probably like one minute, but by the time I reached the door of my car, I could tell something was totally wrong,” said Nameless.
“So, I was holding my head like this because I remember it felt like it was going to explode and I could feel it boiling…I was like No! No! No! I am not going, I can’t go,” he explained.
He was rushed to Nairobi hospital by fellow stars Daddy Owen and Nonini but was transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) at Aga Khan University Hospital.
“The only problem for me, separate from the haemorrhage, is when I lie on the back for long I have intense pain. I have always had an issue with my back.” He told KTN’s Dr Mercy Korir.
There, at the hospital, everything that he had held in high regard like career and the unending hustle seemed meaningless and he bemoaned the things he took for granted.
