- Muraya revealed Sam’s hospital bill stood at KSh 700,000; SHA cleared KSh 300,000.
- Family and friends raised KSh 100,000, leaving a KSh 270,000 balance.
- Muraya appealed to the public and the hospital to release Sam’s body.
- His post sparked backlash, with Kenyans questioning his influence and connections.
- Critics pointed to his recent ties with the government and SHA.
Gospel artist and philanthropist Karangu Muraya on Tuesday made an emotional online appeal, revealing that the body of his late friend Sam, from Gatanga, has remained unburied for a month due to a pending hospital bill.
According to Muraya, the initial medical bill at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) was KSh 700,000. The Social Health Authority (SHA) helped by settling KSh 300,000, and well-wishers contributed KSh 100,000.
That left a balance of KSh 270,000, which has now delayed Sam’s burial for weeks.
“I’m feeling so shameful that the body of my friend Sam from Gatanga has been lying in the morgue for the last month just because of the hospital bill of 270,000,” Muraya wrote.
In the same post, Muraya called on the hospital to consider releasing the body, urging them to show compassion. He also asked the public to support the family, sharing contact details of Sam’s sister, Angelica Njeri Kimani, for donations.
“My friends, please let’s help this family to lay their son to rest,” he added.
Despite the emotional tone of his post, the response online was far from supportive. Several Kenyans questioned why Muraya—who has previously raised large funds online and holds connections with government officials—couldn’t clear the bill himself.
Comments flooded in, pointing to his recent praises of SHA and links to high-profile leaders like Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.
“You are the SHA ambassador, you can wave the bill. Kindiki can clear it with one call,” one user said.
“You said SHA helped your brother, why not this friend too?” another asked.
Others mocked his earlier claims of wealth, with some saying his recent government affiliation may have distanced him from the public’s trust.
Muraya’s Government Ties Fuel Criticism
Part of the backlash stems from Muraya’s open praise for SHA weeks earlier. On May 23, he visited Kindiki’s Karen residence alongside fellow Kikuyu singers Samidoh and Ngaruiya Junior, where they discussed government support for musicians.
At the meeting, Muraya publicly applauded SHA after the agency helped pay KSh 460,000 for his brother’s hospital bill at Karira Mission Hospital. He emphasised how important it is to share such information with the public.
“Sometimes the government does a lot, but people on the ground don’t see it,” Muraya had said.
But now, the same public is questioning the very system Muraya once championed. Many feel betrayed, asking how someone who praised government aid so strongly is now turning back to the same public for help.
The incident has opened up fresh debate around the reliability of SHA, the use of influence, and the responsibility of public figures in times of crisis.
As of now, Sam’s body remains in the morgue—waiting.
