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‘Nilikufa na kufufuka…’ Steve Simple Boy on childhood condition


Stephen Otieno Adera, popularly known as Steve Simple Boy has shared a harrowing chapter of his life — the moment he died momentarily before being brought back to life by what he describes as the grace of God.

In an interview with Trudy Kitui who sought insights into the environment in which he was raised and its potential impact on his mental health.

“They are asking in the comment section, and I see people asking, some are saying, ‘Trudy, have you ever asked Stevo this question?’ I forget sometimes, but today I remembered. Maybe the environment you grew up in when you were young affected your mental health?” Trudy asked Simple Boy.

In response, the rapper recounted a childhood illness that took a dire turn, leading to his temporary demise.

“Okay, the first thing, when I was a very young child, I was very, very sick to the point that I died. Yes, I died, by the way. Through God’s grace, He restored my life again,” he shared.

Simple Boy went on to reveal that his mother, desperate to save him, took him to the hospital where resuscitation efforts failed. Only through what he believes to be the grace of God did he come back to life.

“My biological mother had taken me to the hospital, but they gave up and said, ‘No, he’s gone.’ So, I was put in a competition [for resuscitation], and given medicine that wasn’t working. It’s really through the presence of God that I came back,” he recounted.

Describing the phenomenon, he experienced as “Lazarus Syndrome,” the rapper acknowledged the scientific aspect of blood circulation returning spontaneously after the heart stops beating.

When asked about the impact of his resurrection on his mental health, Steve Simple Boy concurred said:

“So from there, that is how you might have been affected [mentally], or was there also something else afterward, like how life was…?”

“That’s the only thing that affected me,” he responded.

Born and raised in abject poverty, Steve Simple Boy has faced numerous challenges, even after achieving celebrity status. He emerged among the 9 Kenyan celebrities who faced financial difficulties in 2023.

In a previous interview with Diana Marua in 2022, he disclosed his struggles as a slow learner and the challenges he faced in school.

The rapper, who grew up in Kibera, Nairobi, opted not to pursue secondary education after completing his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).

Instead, he engaged in various menial jobs, including working as a construction worker, a security guard, and a waiter in a hotel where he earned a meager Ksh100 a day.