Popular Gengetone artist Shalkido, officially known as Kevin Mburu Kinyanjui, has died from head injuries sustained in a motorbike accident on Sunday, October 5.
His former bandmate in Sailors Gang, Peter Miracle Baby, confirmed the news moments after doctors at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) had declared him brain dead.
Shalkido, aged 28, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a critical condition after reportedly being involved in a hit-and-run accident on Thika Road in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Following his death, tributes poured in from prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Among the first to pay their respects was comedian and content creator Terence, who shared: “Rest in power, comrade. You were meant for greatness.”
Obinna, who hosted Shalkido on his show, shared a photo of them following the news of his passing.
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.
News of Shalkido's accident was initially broken by media personality Oga Obinna, who was among the last people to see the artist before the incident. The accident occurred hours after he made a cameo appearance at an entertainment venue in Thika.
According to Obinna, the artist travelled from Thika back to Nairobi on his motorcycle without much incident. Hours later, reports were rife that he had been hospitalised in critical condition.
According to the media personality, hours after parting ways with the artist, he received reports of the accident, which reportedly left Shalkido with serious head injuries. The artist was rushed to a nearby health facility, with blood gushing from his ears and having sustained a broken leg.
The motorbike, which is currently at a police station, was gifted to Shalkido barely a month ago by popular media personality Eric Omondi, through his Sisi kwa Sisi initiative.
It came after Shalkido had opened up about his financial struggles after an extended period outside the limelight. The Ngunde Ngurume hitmaker narrated how he had reached a breaking point as he shared images and videos of his living conditions.
When requesting a motorbike, Shalkido explained that he intended to use it to start a boda boda business and build himself up again.
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.
