Kenyan singer and entrepreneur Akothee has opened up about an emotional moment with her ailing father during their visit to the late Raila Odinga’s home in Bondo.
In a heartfelt post shared on her Facebook page, Akothee revealed that her father, who is battling dementia, struggled to understand the reason for their visit. According to her, he repeatedly asked why the former Prime Minister had not come out to greet him.
“Yo, my dad still doesn’t know why we are here. He kept asking again and again why Raila isn’t coming to greet him,” she wrote. Akothee explained that her father’s brother eventually broke the sad news to him, reminding him that Raila had passed away. Shocked, her father reportedly shook his head in disbelief, insisting that “ng’atni ngima” — meaning “the person is alive.”
Akothee went on to share a touching moment when her father was handed the condolence book to sign. “I was honestly surprised that my dad could still write,” she said, adding that she struggled to read his handwriting but could make out one word “Daughter.” When she asked him what he had written, he replied, “I am happy to see my daughter.”
The musician expressed the emotional toll of watching her father grapple with memory loss, describing it as a painful reminder of the impact of dementia. “It hit me that the only thing he has processed so far is that I am with him after four months,” she noted.
Akothee concluded by saying that the family chose to tell her father they had only come for a visit and would see Raila “tomorrow,” to avoid distressing him further.
Her post has drawn an outpouring of sympathy and support from fans online.
By Nairobi