Betty Bayo, born Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua in Banana, Kiambu, rose from humble beginnings to become one of Kenya’s most beloved gospel singers.
Behind her powerful songs and radiant smile, however, lay a life of heartbreak, resilience, and faith. She passed away at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) after a long battle with leukaemia, leaving behind her two children and a legacy of hope.
Betty’s early life was marked by struggle and perseverance. After attending Mihuti Primary School in Olkalou, Nyandarua County, her education was cut short when financial hardships forced her to drop out at Form Two.
Determined to change her circumstances, she took up a job as a househelp, saving every coin to pay for her own education.
After two years, her hard work paid off; she re-enrolled in school and completed her secondary education. That fierce determination, shaped by hardship, would define her journey both as an artiste and a woman of faith.
To her fans, she would later be known as Betty Bayo the sweet-voiced singer of “11th Hour,” whose story was as inspirational as it was tragic.
In the early 2010s, Betty emerged as part of the vibrant Kikuyu gospel wave, captivating audiences with her powerful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Her songs 11th Hour, Gatho, Jemedari, Thiiri, Udahi, Ndîkerîria, Maneno, and Agocwo, became staples in many Christian homes.
The 11th Hour hit captured her philosophy on faith and timing that no matter how dark the night, God’s light would always shine through.
In her early days as a singer, Betty met Pastor Victor Kanyari at his church. The charismatic preacher, then riding high on a wave of popularity, swept her off her feet.
Kanyari’s mother, Prophetess Lucy Nduta, was also no ordinary preacher. She had some altercations with the law.
The family had relocated from Loitokitok and Kanyari’s classmates at Ilkisonko Secondary and AIC Primary Schools, had a totally different picture of the young city preacher who claimed to be performing miracles, including curing HIV. He was a known rabble-rouser in that border town where he grew up.
Young Betty met him when his ascend in city prophetic ministries that had seemingly put Nairobians under a spell, was on the rise. Soon she would find herself dating and finally moving in with Kanyari.
“Like any naïve girl, I fell for his charms,” she later admitted in an interview with The Standard adding that their relationship was never formalised through marriage, despite public assumptions.
“We met in his church and became friends, and eventually started dating,” she said. “Our marriage had never been made official in any way. I did not even really consider myself his wife, everything was a blur.”
The relationship led to the birth of two children, Sky Victor and Dani Victor, but cracks began to show when in 2014, Kanyari’s name was linked to a TV exposé on fake miracles and the Sh310 mbegu scandal.
Betty, already separated, handled the situation with resilience: “I had gone through so much that I was indifferent. When you’ve been stretched beyond your limits, nothing shocks you anymore,” she stated in the interview.
When the scandal broke, Betty was already living apart from him. After the public humiliation and painful separation, Betty picked up the pieces. She reinvented herself, focusing on her music and her children. Years later, love found her again.
In 2021, she married Hiram Gitau, aka Tash, in a colourful Kikuyu traditional wedding (ruracio).
Betty the mother
A doting mother, Betty often shared moments of wisdom and laughter with her daughter Sky. In one touching video, she encouraged Sky to be proud of her blended family, telling her: “It is called life, and nobody should make you feel bad because of your life. The key thing is ‘are you happy?’ in everything, whether you are in a blended, complicated or even an up-and-down family, or are you just trying to show happiness to others at the expense of your own?”
In another video, when Sky was about to travel out of the country, she told her: “I am not always going to be there, but I have taught you God, I have taught you morals. You are going to meet different people who are exposed and have different views about life.”
In the weeks leading up to her death, Betty paid a visit to her friend Sarah Mtalii at her travel agency. Based on videos shared on the singer’s TikTok, the purpose of the visit was to talk about a vacation for her and Dani Victor.
Nevertheless, as Sarah revealed, they also discussed plans for Sky’s future. “She stood by me especially last year… It was God’s will, and I pray that the dreams she had for her daughter will come true,” she mourned.
Betty the entrepreneur
Away from the glamorous and artistic life on social media, she was also an entrepreneur. Betty had been working as a brand ambassador for companies in the real estate sector, and in 2022, she decided to venture into the industry and started her own company.
The singer announced the launch of the company Double B on her Instagram. “By the grace of God, hard work plus resilience has earned me the CEO position of @dabob_landing. A company that deals with the selling of land and property. You all know I have been marketing for other companies in the same field for more than 7 years, and as a result, I have gathered immense experience.
Behind her radiant smile and soaring melodies, however, lay a personal story that many never knew in full. Her fans had no clue that behind her glowing posts and joyful videos, Betty was fighting a silent battle.
She had been diagnosed with leukemia, a condition that would eventually take her life.
Close friend and fellow gospel singer Shiru wa GP revealed that Betty had been receiving treatment in different hospitals and had been recovering at home before her condition suddenly worsened.
On the night of November 11, 2025, Shiru recounted how Betty began bleeding heavily at her home.
Shiru explained that she had warmed water and took it upstairs to wake Betty’s house help. She checked on the children and confirmed they were asleep in their bedrooms.
After making sure everything was in order, Shiru left the house to go back to her own home, leaving instructions for the house help to stay awake downstairs in case Betty needed anything.
“Betty was a fighter, hangekufa akiwa amenyamaza. Akapiga honi, security na neighbours wakakuja na ule neighbour wake akamchukua akampeleka AAR,” she said.
Neighbours rushed her to AAR, but she could not be admitted immediately due to financial issues.
“They could not take her in initially because she did not have cash, so they called me, and I paid Sh260,000. Her friends raised about Sh1.3 million,” Shiru recalled.
She was later transferred to KNH where she suffered a stroke and was moved to the ICU.
“I want blood, I want blood, A positive,” Shiru recalled her saying, her voice fading. Despite the efforts of doctors and prayers from friends and family, Betty died days later.
News of her death shocked many; including Pastor Kanyari, who revealed he was unaware of how ill she had been.
“The last time we spoke, she had called me to pick the kids, but I told her I was far. I only learned about her condition today morning,” he told Kameme FM.
Later that day, he posted a tribute on Facebook: “So sad… R.I.P Mama Sky… the mother to my kids.”
Betty’s last social media posts now read like a haunting premonition. On October 23, she wrote: “Rest in peace. None of this will be your portion this year in Jesus’ mighty name.”
A few days later, she posted: “Breaking news; you are among people who will finish this year with victory in Jesus’ name.”
And finally, her last words to her followers were a testament to her unwavering faith: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.”