KENYA: The Late Angela Chibalonza's Sister Discovered Dead in Her Embakasi Home

The late gospel musician Angela Chibalonza

Mammy Runinga, sister to the late gospel singer Angela Chibalonza who died from a road crash in 2008, was on Saturday night found dead in her house in Nyayo Estate, Embakasi.

Before she was found collapsed in her bathroom, her house girl Everlyne Atieno reported that Mammy had been complaining of having a cold on Friday when she came home before asking her to go to the local chemist and get her flu medication.

"I walked all over but I couldn't find the specific medication she wanted. When I came back, she told me her nose is congested and she needs to take the medicine without fail," said a tearful Atieno.

Atieno then went around and beyond the estate before she found the specific medication she was sent to acquire. When she returned to the house Mammy instructed her to light a charcoal jiko to boil drinking water. She then asked her to give her a portion of the water to use for bathing.

"She said she was feeling cold and wanted to take a warm bath and use the steam from the boiling water to clear her blocked nose," said Atieno

Atieno was then instructed to take the jiko and water to the bathroom. Mammy remained inside the bathroom for a while before one of her young daughters who needed to use the bathroom noticed something was wrong.

She knocked on the door asking her mother to open and was alarmed when she did not respond. It was then that she called on Atieno who did the same but there was still no response from Mammy.

Atieno then called on the neighbors for help who were able to open the door, and it is then that they realized Mammy had collapsed on the bathroom floor. At the time the jiko was still burning lightly in the bathroom.

Mammy was then rushed to the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Veteran musician Solomon Mkubwa who also stays in Embakasi was one of the people who rushed Mammy to hospital.

Embakasi OCPD Apollo Wanyonyi said they are investigating to establish what caused the death. "We are yet to know how she died but the family says there was a jiko that was burning in the house. Experts are on the ground gathering more information," said Wanyonyi.

Wanyonyi added a post mortem report will also be done to reveal what caused the death.

Mammy Runinga, Angela Chibalonza's younger sister and former manager

Mammy Runinga was Chibalonza’s younger sister and her manager all the way till she died. She leaves behind a husband who was away on the time of her death, and three children.

Neighbors described her as a spitting image of her late sister Chibalonza whose music has continued to rock the airwaves long after she had died.

[SOURCE: Standard Digital]