Otoyo: We never neglected Othuol
Milele FM presenter and comedian Kazungu Matano alias Captain Otoyo denied reports circulating that Churchill Show comedian Othuol Othuol was abandoned and died a miserable man.
Speaking during their evening show on Tuesday, Otoyo narrated how he together with Jalang’o and Sandra Dacha provided assistace to Othuol, real name Ben Maurice Onyango, for years.
Otoyo walked fans through Othuol’s last days, disclosing how his long battle with Tuberculosis began roughly two years ago after his diagnosis and had to strictly take medication for 60 days.
“As you know, we all have our weaknesses, his was alcohol and after 30 days he ditched medication and went back to the bottle,” he revealed.
Otoyo said the comedy trio were frustrated and angry to learn Othuol had stopped taking his medication and warned him that his life was at stake and he needed to take better care of it.
“The three of us went and did shopping for him. Everything needed for his well-being and even raised funds for his medical expenses.”
“I read on blogs people weren’t there for Othuol, we were there for him.”
Otoyo revealed that through their intervention Othuol went back to taking his medication but was taking it on and off.
“Some people started saying that TB was associated with HIV/AIDS and after doing several tests, he didn’t have AIDS. It was only TB,” he went on to reveal during the show.
According to the media personality, Othuol was stressed because he did not have any source of income.
“At Churchill, he wasn’t employed. He was a comedian and at the end of the month, he didn’t have a salary because you were paid according to the number of appearances. And that’s why he had time to act on Auntie Boss as well.”
Otoyo regretted that despite their interventions things did not go as they had anticipated.
“Throughout his illness, we raised funds for through various WhatsApp groups. When Othuol’s medical issues came up, they would all gladly raise funds to cater for his hospital bills.
“We never neglected him!”
Eventually, his health condition worsened, occasionally suffering serious migraines and was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for an MRI and was diagnosed with brain tumor.
Othuol was attended to and once his condition stabilized, he was allowed to return home.
He had been booked to return to hospital at a later date, as comedians continued to raise funds for his surgery and when the day of surgery approached, unfortunately doctors were on strike.
“We took him to a hospital near where he lived in Kitengela, but the medical staff did not have the resources. A few days later doctors at KNH resumed duty and we rushed him there but unfortunately he passed on before he could get the much needed surgery,” revealed Otoyo.
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Plans are underway to give Othuol Othuol a well-deserved sendoff, according to Comedians in Kenya Society Chairman Ken Waudo, to the tune of Sh 1 million.
“Plans are underway to inter his body at his ancestral home in Ndere, Alego, Siaya County scheduled for 24th October 2020, and we are looking at Othuol funeral budget ranging at Sh700,000 to Sh1 million,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Othuol died on Sunday after a long battle with TB and brain tumor at the age of 31.