NAIROBI, Kenya – The inquest into the death of Kenyan gospel singer Betty Bayo has come to an end, nearly a year after her family raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her sudden death.
Bayo, whose real name was Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua, died on November 10, 2025, while receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Her death initially triggered mourning across Kenya’s gospel music scene, but the circumstances surrounding her final illness soon became a source of concern for members of her family.
On October 1, 2026, Bayo’s brother, Edward Kang’ethe Mbugua, popularly known as Ngesh, announced that the inquiry had reached its conclusion.
In a Facebook post, Ngesh said the date marked a point of closure for the family after months of investigations.
“November 10, 2025, is the day you died, my blood sister, but today, October 1st is the day you have rested in peace (rip), siz. The inquest has come to a closure.”
He went on to tell Bayo’s fans that medical investigations had established the cause of death and asked them to allow the late singer to rest.
“Cause of death has been proven medically. Am now at peace to all her fans; let’s allow her soul to rest. Asanteni.”
Bayo’s death became the subject of an official investigation after her mother, Joyce Wairimu Mbugua, petitioned the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in December 2025.
The family questioned how Bayo, whom they said had not shown signs of a serious underlying illness, could die suddenly after being admitted to hospital.
They also raised concerns about access to her medical information and post-mortem findings.
In its petition, the family said it had been denied access to medical records detailing the treatment Bayo received before her death. They also questioned the circumstances surrounding her burial, which took place on November 20, 2025.
The family’s lawyers told the ODPP that relatives had struggled to understand how the singer could die after what they described as an unexpected deterioration in her health.
“The family has had to go through unbearable pain in accepting the fact that the deceased, who had never exhibited any illness, would just die mysteriously.”
The family also alleged that an autopsy report had not been made available to them and sought an independent inquiry into the circumstances of her death.
The family’s petition prompted the ODPP to order the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding Bayo’s death.
The directive, issued in December 2025, required investigators to examine the concerns raised by the family and submit their findings to prosecutors for review.
The ODPP specifically noted the family’s concerns about the alleged lack of access to the post-mortem report and the circumstances surrounding Bayo’s death.
The DCI subsequently began investigations, including efforts to question people considered relevant to the case.
The inquiry followed earlier reports that Bayo had died after suffering severe bleeding.
When announcing her death in November 2025, a family representative said doctors had attempted to save her.
“The doctors tried to do their best, but the will of God has prevailed.”
Before the family petitioned the ODPP, Bayo’s doctors had offered a medical explanation for her rapid deterioration.
Physician Nderitu Wangui, who was involved in her treatment, said doctors eventually established that Bayo had acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.
He explained that her condition had progressed significantly and that her bone marrow was no longer producing the blood components her body needed. Bayo also experienced severe platelet shortages and required blood donations as doctors tried to stabilise her.
“We sat down and began asking each other, where was Betty’s blood going?”
The doctor said the medical team initially struggled to establish the reason for the severe blood loss before tests revealed the underlying condition.
“At AAR, we could not induce chemotherapy due to procedural limitations. Our best option was Kenyatta National Hospital.”
Bayo was subsequently transferred to KNH, where she continued treatment before her death on November 10, 2025.
The conclusion comes nearly a year after her death and after the family took the matter to state authorities seeking answers about what happened during her final days.
