The vibrant voice that has soundtracked countless Kenyan celebrations for decades was suddenly reduced to a whisper. Renowned singer Mary Maina, popularly known as Marya, has bravely shared the harrowing details of the ischemic stroke that struck her without warning, dramatically altering her life and livelihood.
In an emotional interview on the Oga Obinna show on Monday, September 22, 2025, Marya recounted the terrifying moment her world shifted. The incident occurred not on a stage, but in the quiet of her home, while she was holding her second-born child.
“It happened within the blink of an eye,” Marya narrated, painting a vivid picture of the sudden crisis. “I was holding my second-born, and he fell. When I got up to get him, I also fell.”
In that instant, chaos replaced calm. As both mother and child lay crying on the ground, Marya’s body began to fail her. She felt a profound numbness spread through her hand and leg. Her nanny, confronted with the shocking scene, was momentarily paralyzed by confusion.
“I told her to call whoever she could, immediately,” Marya recalled, highlighting the urgency of the moment.
Rushed to the hospital, the grim reality was confirmed by doctors: she had suffered an ischemic stroke, a condition where a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain. The physical toll was immediate and severe. “At the hospital, I could not fist my hand,” she shared, a simple yet stark indicator of the neurological damage.
The personal tragedy was quickly compounded by a professional and financial crisis. As revealed earlier in June by comedian and activist Eric Omondi, all of Marya’s scheduled performances were cancelled in the wake of her illness.
Omondi had taken to social media to rally support for the artist, describing her as a “talented singer who has entertained the nation for decades.” He highlighted the dire situation: the stroke left her not only physically incapacitated—unable to walk or perform basic duties—but also drowning in mounting medical bills.
“All her shows have been cancelled. She is the mother of two beautiful children, and she needs us now. Her bills have piled up,” Omondi had pleaded, urging Kenyans to assist the singer for whom so many had once danced and sung along.
Marya’s story is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life, striking a chord far beyond the entertainment industry. It underscores the vulnerability of artists who rely on their physical presence for their income, and whose livelihoods can vanish in an instant with a health emergency.
As she focuses on her recovery and caring for her two children, the nation that Marya entertained for decades now watches, hoping for the strength of the woman behind the music to pull through her greatest challenge yet.
