Gospel artist Betty Bayo./COURTESY
Gospel artist Betty Bayo./FILE
Kenya’s gospel music community this week lost one of its distinctive voices.
Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua—better known by her stage name Betty Bayo—died on Monday, November 10, 2025, after a protracted battle with blood cancer (leukaemia), her family and several media outlets confirmed.
Family sources and reports from newsrooms show Bayo’s condition deteriorated in early November. She was initially admitted to AAR Hospital on Kiambu Road before being transferred to KNH on Friday, November 7, for more intensive care, according to multiple outlets.
Medical teams treated complications from acute leukaemia that included severe bleeding. The family confirmed her passing while she was under the care of KNH at 1:03 pm, Monday.
Leaders in the gospel industry, as well as ordinary Kenyans, reacted swiftly and emotionally to the news. Gospel artist Daddy Owen called her a “true vessel of God” whose voice and ministry had touched countless lives.
Bishop Victor Muthee Kiengei praised her legacy, saying she contributed significantly to Kenya’s gospel music industry, lived a life of praise, and “maximised her full potential” as a soul in service.
Gospel musician Betty Bayo's ex-husband, Pastor Victor Kanyari overcome by emotions after viewing her body on November 11, 2025 / SCREENGRABHer ex-partner, Pastor Victor Kanyari, shared how he would carry her memory, love, and spirit forever, even as he grieved the fact that she had “left before I could say everything I needed to."
“It hurts in ways I can’t explain. I still see you in every laugh our children give, in every little habit that reminds me of you. We had our moments, both the fire and the calm, but through it all, you were family. I’ll carry your memory, your love, and your spirit forever. Rest easy; you’ll always be missed," Kanyari said.
President William Ruto also mourned Bayo, describing her as an “extraordinary gospel artiste” whose music carried hope and strength to millions of Kenyans.
In a deeply emotional tribute released hours after news of her death broke, the President said her ministry had uplifted countless people across the country.
“We mourn the passing of Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua, fondly known as Betty Bayo, an extraordinary gospel artiste whose voice carried hope into the hearts of countless Kenyans," Ruo said in a statement.
"Her breakthrough hit, ‘11th Hour,’ was a powerful anthem of divine turnaround that inspired the faithful and comforted many who sought strength, healing, and reassurance in gospel music."
"Her voice may have fallen silent, but her ministry lives on in every heart she touched, every soul she uplifted, and every life she helped steady in difficult moments. Rest in Peace, Betty Bayo,” President Ruto said.
Betty Bayo./InstagramHer best-known single, “11th Hour” (sometimes written “Eleventh Hour”), became an anthem in many churches and across digital streaming platforms, elevating her profile within Kenya’s gospel fraternity.
Over the years, she also released other popular tracks such as “Ngai Ti Mundu,” “Atasimama Nawe,” “Nikuhadwo,” “Busy Busy” and “Jemedari.” These songs contributed to a steady digital following and regular appearances at gospel events.
“11th Hour” is the track most commonly associated with Betty Bayo’s rise: a song whose theme of divine intervention in desperate times resonated with congregations and online listeners, pushing her into the mainstream of Kenyan gospel.
Streaming platform data cited by some outlets showed the single among her most played tracks; other songs such as “Busy Busy” and “Jemedari” were also noted as steady performers on digital services.
Her music blended Kikuyu-language worship with contemporary gospel arrangements, making her a household name in Central Kenya and among Kikuyu-speaking communities elsewhere.
Gospel artist Betty Bayo./COURTESY
Gospel artist Betty Bayo./COURTESY
Beyond recorded music, Bayo has been described as an energetic live performer whose shows often doubled as ministry meetings: many fans recall her church and concert appearances where she combined testimony, exhortation and song. Those public appearances contributed to her reputation as both an entertainer and a minister.
Gospel artist Betty Bayo./COURTERSYPublic records and media reports say Bayo was a mother of two. Her relationship with Pastor Kanyari—often described in reports as a former partner or ex-husband and the father of her children—was referenced in several tributes after her death.
Kanyari confirmed her passing on social media and was reported to have been present at KNH during family announcements.
Betty Bayo’s public journey was marked by an accessible worship style, a social-media-savvy approach to ministry, and music that connected with people who were searching for hope.
In her tribute, her family announced that her body would be laid to rest on November 20, 2025, at her own piece of land in Mugumo Estate along Kiambu Road — a place she had bought, perhaps as a lasting legacy for her children.
The family also set aside a Sh5 million budget to give her a proper farewell; fellow gospel artist Ben Githae urged mourners, well-wishers, and supporters to help contribute.
According to Ben Githae, former President Uhuru Kenyatta has already donated Sh1 million for Betty Bayo's funeral, and his foundation has requested details of the late singer's children to sponsor their education.
For a generation of gospel listeners, her songs provided a soundtrack to difficult seasons and joyful gatherings alike. In death, as in life, she has prompted an outpouring of gratitude from fans and peers who say her voice and testimony will endure through the music she leaves behind.
Betty Bayo’s story is now woven into Kenya’s gospel history: a woman whose voice carried comfort, whose faith carried her through pain, and whose memory will live on every time “Eleventh Hour” echoes in a church hall, a car ride, or the quiet corners of someone’s heart.
She was more than a name—she was a presence, and though she is gone, the legacy she built is set to endure.
