Bahati has been forced to defend the memory of his late parents after two strangers — a man and a woman — went viral on TikTok this week, each boldly claiming to be his biological parent.
The woman, who was first to claim to be Bahati’s biological mother, seems to have inspired others to come out to claim to be the singer’s parents.
An elderly man posted an emotional video insisting he was Bahati’s long-lost father. In the clip, the man begged for forgiveness, saying he had handed the young Bahati over to a children’s home decades ago because he and the child’s mother were too poor to raise him.
“Bahati, I am asking for your forgiveness,” he said in the video, adding that he was ready to undergo a DNA test. He also claimed that the Bahati’s mother was still alive and searching for him online.
But the gospel-turned-pop star reacted swiftly, taking to Instagram on Wednesday, December 3, to shut down the claims and protect the memory of the parents he lost as a child.
“Lakini wacheni jokes. Wacheni wazazi wangu wapumzike kwa amani,” he wrote, urging people to stop dragging his late parents into viral stunts.
Earlier, a woman appeared in a separate TikTok video, claiming to be Bahati’s mother. She tearfully told viewers she had surrendered him to a children’s home because she lacked the means to raise him.
“Bahati, mimi ni mama yako,” she said, apologising and saying she had lived with the secret for years. She too said she was ready for a DNA test.
Bahati, however, said the woman’s claims left him shaken — not because he believed her, but because of the painful memories they resurfaced. The singer revealed he had personally attended his mother’s burial more than 25 years ago.
“But my mum died over twenty-five years ago. I personally attended the burial and witnessed her grave,” he wrote, adding that the conflicting claims had only deepened his confusion. “This woman has confused me even more. So what should I do?”
With both videos spreading rapidly across social media, fans have rallied behind Bahati, urging him not to let online clout-chasers reopen old wounds. For now, the singer has made one thing clear: he wants his parents — and his peace — to be left alone.
