• Friends tried to talk to Othuol to finish TB medication but he 'went back to drinking'
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
Comedian Captain Otoyo has dispelled allegations the late Othuol Othuol’s friends neglected him in his last moments.
Othuol died on Sunday while receiving treatment at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
Speaking during the evening show at Milele FM, Otoyo narrated how Jalang’o, Sandra Dacha and himself helped Othuol.
"Around a year and eight months ago, Othuol was diagnosed with TB," he said.
"He was given medication which he was supposed to take for 60 days without fail. But Othuol used to drink. He took the medication for a month or so and stopped. Akarudia pombe kimpango and it came to our attention. Jalas, Sandra Dacha and I got mad with him."
Otoyo said they tried to talk to him and advised him to finish the medication so he could recover fully.
Otoyo also addressed the rumour that Othuol was HIV-positive.
"We even bought him food. I read on blogs people weren’t there for Othuol," he said.
"He went back to taking medicine but he was on and off. Some people started saying TB was associated with HIV-Aids and after doing several tests, he didn’t have Aids. It’s only TB."
Othuol later became stressed since he could not make money.
"At Churchill, he wasn’t employed. He was a comedian and at the end of the month, he didn’t have a salary," he said.
"You were paid according to the number of appearances. And that’s why he was acting on Auntie Boss as well."
In an interview with Word Is, a close friend, 2Mbili, said most of Othuol's friends neither visited him nor contributed anything for his medication. Less than five comedians visited him at the hospital, he said.
"We needed Sh8,000 to hire an ambulance for him to be transferred to KNH, and so I sent a message in the official comedians' WhatsApp group, which has over 200 people, yet people could not raise that," he said.
Plans to lay Othuol to rest are underway.
Ken Waudo, the chairman of Comedians In Kenya Society, said in a statement that the late Othuol Othuol’s funeral expenses will range from Sh700,000 to Sh1 million.
"The body of the comedian has been transferred to Chiromo Mortuary. He will be buried at his ancestral home in Ndere, Alego, Siaya county, on October 24."