Actor Dan Sonko on the loss of ex-lover, actress Winnie Bwire
By Elizabeth NgigiMombasa-based actor Dan Sonko is grieving the loss of his former partner, Winnie Bwire, who passed away from cancer on September 5.
The two were once a cherished couple, admired by many, and though they parted ways in 2023, their relationship remained one of mutual respect and support.
Sonko, a father of two, joined hundreds of mourners at Deliverance Mt. Zion Church in Mombasa for Winnie’s requiem mass.
After more than a year of social media silence, he delivered an emotional tribute that moved the congregation to tears.
“Our prayer was that she would come out of this victorious. In God’s way, I guess this is a victory since there is no more pain for her, but there’s pain here,” Sonko told the congregation.
“I have nothing more to say.”
Winnie, who had been receiving treatment in Turkey, fought cancer with remarkable strength before succumbing to the disease. Her funeral is scheduled for Saturday, September 21, in Busia County, where she will be laid to rest.
In a past interview with Nairobi News, the father of two revealed the plan to welcome a baby girl with Winnie Bwire and name her Diamond in 2023.
“We are dreamers and we had also dreamt up a plot and designed the house and we had like a blueprint of how we wanted our dream house to look,” Dan said.
Dan said they treated the separation as a ‘break,’ a period for self-discovery and personal growth.
“She was going through something and I was also going through something. I had some personal struggles as well because of her journey.”
Sonko acknowledges the challenges of being a caregiver and the toll it took on him, both physically and mentally.
“Being a caregiver is nothing easy. I gave everything I could but at the same time, I was losing myself and at the same time, she needed a strong person. The only strong people who were there apart from myself who was trying, were her friends and family. My family was very supportive but the central caregiver at that point was me, but I was breaking.”