The mystery surrounding the death of gospel icon Betty Bayo has taken a dramatic legal turn, as the nation’s top prosecutor demands answers over allegations of a “dark cover-up.”
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has officially ordered the DCI to launch a high-priority investigation into the passing of Betty Bayo, born Beatrice Wairimu Mbugua, following a sensational petition from the singer’s mother.
The “11th Hour” hitmaker died on November 10, 2025, while undergoing treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital.
At the time, her husband, Hiram Gitau—popularly known as Tash—and a family spokesperson informed the public that the 34-year-old had succumbed to acute myeloid leukaemia.
However, in a move that has sent shockwaves through the gospel industry, Betty’s mother, Joyce Wairimu, has challenged the official narrative.
In a blistering letter to the DPP dated December 9, she alleged that an “evil hand” was involved in her daughter’s untimely demise.
“My daughter never exhibited any illness,” Wairimu claimed, according to legal documents.
“She died mysteriously, and the events that followed have only deepened our anguish.”
The grieving mother paints a chilling picture of the days following Betty’s death, alleging that the family was systematically denied access to the singer’s medical records and was never provided with a formal autopsy report.
Perhaps most damning are Wairimu’s claims regarding the funeral.
She alleges that Betty was “hurriedly buried” on November 20 at a green-themed ceremony in Kiambu, a move she believes was designed to “conceal facts” and prevent a proper post-mortem examination.
“We were left in the dark about what she was actually being treated for,” the petition states. “The lack of transparency is startling for a woman of her profile.”
The hospital’s initial report cited complications from leukaemia and excessive bleeding as the cause of death, but the DPP is now taking the family’s concerns seriously enough to demand a full report from investigators within just seven days.
Betty Bayo rose to fame over a decade ago with her soul-stirring music, often singing about divine intervention and triumph over adversity.
Her personal life, including her previous high-profile marriage to Pastor Victor Kanyari, frequently kept her in the headlines.
While her husband, Hiram Gitau, has previously described the loss as a “shock” and a “will of God,” the new investigation threatens to turn a period of mourning into a full-scale criminal inquiry.
Related: ‘We suspect an evil hand!’ Betty Bayo’s mother demands DPP probe into singer’s ‘mysterious’ death
