TRAGIC: Gengetone Artist Shalkido Dies in Grisly Hit & Run, Just Days After Motorbike Donation

Kenya’s music community is mourning the sudden death of musician Shalkido, who lost his life in a grisly road accident along Thika Road just weeks after he had started rebuilding his life.

The artist, whose real name was Kevin Mburu Kinyanjui, was involved in the crash in the early hours of Sunday morning near the Githurai – Carwash area. He was rushed to the Kenyatta University Referral Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Friends say the 26-year-old was finally beginning to get back on his feet. After months of financial struggles and health issues, comedian Eric Omondi had recently surprised him with a brand-new motorbike under his Sisi kwa Sisi charity program.

The gift came as a lifeline for the former Sailors Gang member, who had spoken openly about falling on hard times after the Gengetone wave slowed down.

The bike, which he had planned to use for a boda boda business, symbolized a fresh start. In videos shared online just days earlier, a visibly emotional Shalkido thanked Omondi and promised to turn his life around. “This is a new beginning,” he said.

Sadly, that beginning ended too soon.

According to reports, Shalkido was riding the same motorbike when he got into the accident. Bystanders found him lying by the roadside and rushed him to hospital, but he didn’t make it.

His close friend and fellow artist Bahati revealed that he had spoken to Shalkido shortly before his death. “He told me he was finally feeling hopeful again,” Bahati said in an emotional post, recalling their last chat.

Fans and fellow musicians have flooded social media with tributes, remembering him for his humor, humility and raw talent.

Shalkido rose to fame as part of the Gengetone group Sailors, known for hits like Wamlambez and Wainame. In recent years, he had stepped away from the limelight as the group split and members pursued solo projects.

For many Kenyans, his death feels especially painful, the story of a young father who had fallen, fought to rise, and was just beginning to see the light again.

The post TRAGIC: Gengetone Artist Shalkido Dies in Grisly Hit & Run, Just Days After Motorbike Donation appeared first on Nairobi Wire.