Mugithi and Gengetone musician Kevin Mburu Kinyanju, better known to his fans as Shalkido, has died at the age of 28 after a motorcycle accident along Thika Road on Sunday.
He was rushed to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), where he was in critical condition before being pronounced brain-dead after sustaining severe internal bleeding and a broken leg.
His former bandmate, Peter Mwangi, better known as Miracle Baby, confirmed that Shalkido’s family had shared the news with him.
Before his death, Shalkido had publicly disclosed his financial struggles, revealing that the collapse of Sailors Gang and dwindling opportunities had taken a toll on his livelihood. A few creatives, touched by his story, had come together to help him, including Eric Omondi, Terence the creative and Oga Obinna.
Tributes continue to pour in from across the entertainment industry.
Comedian and content creator Terence was among the first to pay his respects, sharing “rest in power, comrade, you were meant for greatness.”
Musician Bahati also followed suit, sharing that Shalkido had been in discussions with his management about a possible collaboration before the news of his passing.
“You had just talked to my management on our collabo na mkapanga tuingie studio this coming week,” Bahati said. “Rest well, young king. Tutaonana baadae.”
Obinna, who hosted Shalkido on his show, shared a photo of them following the news of his passing.
Shalkido rose to fame as a member of the popular Gengetone group Sailors Gang, which dominated Kenya’s music scene with viral hits like “Wamlambez”, “Pekejeng”, and “Wainame”.
After leaving Sailors, Shalkido pursued a solo career, releasing tracks such as “Ngunde Ngurume” and “Matigio”, where he dabbled in the Mugithi genre.
