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The ailing mother of deceased former Youth Fund chairman Bruce Odhiambo was on Thursday wheeled from hospital on a stretcher to attend her son’s memorial service.
Grace Abonyo spent the entire memorial service lying on her stretcher and still on her hospital gown on the aisle of Nairobi Baptist Church, Valley Road.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, a friend and former schoolmate of the deceased, was represented at the service by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.
The memorial service mass saw family, friends and well-wishers eulogize the fallen music producer as a great a person.
Kenyan musicians led by Sauti Sol told a tale of how Bruce Odhiambo offered his studio for them to record their award-winning album more than 10 years ago.
Band leader, Bien Aime told the congregation that they had lost a father figure.
“We have lost a father. We met Bruce 10 years ago,” said Bien.
Other artistes present included Dan Aceda, Amos and Josh, Kidum, Pitson and comedians Churchill and Nyambane who said that artistes will organise a concert in honour of Bruce.
What caught the eye of everyone was his coffin. It was designed with a piano cover, an indication that music was life for him.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja and political leaders also joined the family at the service.
The Senator promised Bruce family child support and described him as a person dedicated to the youths.
“Because of the service Bruce offered to this country, his children will never lack anything and as a government, we will stand with them all the days of our lives,” said Sakaja.
The First lady described Bruce as a dedicated and skillful person in this country.
“With his slogan ‘it’s never that serious’, Bruce always wanted to mentor young people and has worked so hard in the Beyond Zero brand building because he was always eager to learn new things,” she said.
“In as much as we want to mourn him today, let us also celebrate his contribution in the creative art,” she added.
The former Youth Enterprise Fund chairman died last week at Nairobi Hospital where he had been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit after developing heart related complications.
Mr Odhiambo is reported to have developed heart complications just weeks after returning from India in November 2018 where he had gone to seek specialized treatment.
The producer flew to India in October last year to replace his pacemaker – an electrical device implanted under the skin to help manage irregular heartbeats.
He will be laid to rest on Saturday in Koru, Kisumu county.
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