The death of popular reggae MC Jahmby Koikai has left Kenyans in mourning.
She died at Nairobi Hospital at around 9 pm on Monday, June 3, after a long battle with endometriosis, a condition she had been battling for many years.
Jahmby, a former radio presenter, was outspoken about her struggles with endometriosis, detailing how the condition had affected her vital organs such as her lungs, heart, spine and appendix due to delayed diagnosis.
Koikai revealed that it took her 17 years to get a diagnosis for the life-threatening condition.
“We shed the lining of the uterus during our monthly periods. Unfortunately, with endometriosis, this lining grows on other parts of the body. In my case, the lining grew in my lungs, causing them to collapse every month, which led to countless operations,” she said.
Endometriosis causes pelvic pain, and it also makes conception difficult.
The condition can start with the first menstrual period and last until the menopause.
The exact cause of endometriosis is not known.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that raising awareness can help with early diagnosis and treatment, potentially slowing the progression of the disease and alleviating long-term symptoms.
Here is a list of celebrities who have battled endometriosis:
In 2023, radio presenter and actress Natalie Githinji spoke about her menstrual flow woes that were accompanied by excruciating cramps.
She said the condition not only caused her physical pain but also heartbreak in her relationships, adding that she could barely walk during her monthly period.
Natalie explained in an interview that she only found out about her condition – endometriosis – seven years later.
“I found out seven years later. I wish I had known sooner; I would have caught it sooner,” she said.
Janet Mbugua
Janet opened up about her struggles with endometriosis when she shared her experience with her followers.
She talked about undergoing a laparoscopy in 2005 for deep ovarian endometriosis, also known as endometriomas or ovarian cysts.
This condition causes cavities to form in the ovaries that fill with blood.
Janet said that experienced painful and prolonged periods since the time she was in high school. Sometimes she was unable to attend class, and later on, work, especially during the first few days of her cycle.
“It had been years, literally, since high school, of painful, prolonged periods that sometimes left me unable to go to class or to the office, especially during the first few days of my cycle,” she said.
“Finally, getting a diagnosis was such a breakthrough. I was put on oral contraceptives, which I have had to continue using except during when trying to have a baby.
“To this day, if I don’t take my medication, I struggle during my period.”
Ciru Muriuki
BBC reporter Ciru Muriuki has also spoke about her battle with endometriosis.
Sharing a photo from the past, Ciru said she did her first laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis cysts two days before Christmas in 2017.
She explains that every time she had her period, it would bleed into her ovaries, causing excruciating pain.
It can sometimes take years for endometriosis to be definitively diagnosed, as women are often told that the pain is a normal part of being a woman.
“Words cannot describe the pain. It sometimes takes years for endometriosis to be definitively diagnosed because women are told that pain is part of being a woman,” Ciru said.
By Nairobinews