Bahati opens up about his childhood struggles.

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Reality TV star Kevin Kioko, also known as Bahati, gave an emotional speech during the launch of his latest project, The Bahati’s Empire.

The project is set to premiere on Netflix. Bahati spoke about his difficult past and the hard work he has put in to create a good life for himself.

During the event, Bahati addressed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was the guest of honour and took him and all those in attendance on a trip down memory lane.

He emotionally recounted the events that unraveled leading him to seek refuge in a children’s home even though one of his parents was still alive and well. 

“I come from a place called Mathare, that is where I used to live. In Ngei ward next to Huruma and your excellency I am a go-getter,” started off the father of 5.

He went on to recount how he lost his mom at a young age, which completely broke him and his siblings. The bad news didn’t end there. 

Following his mom’s death, their dad remarried and left, leaving them to fend for themselves.

“I lost my mom when I was 7 years old… After losing my mom, my dad married again and then he moved out of the city and that is how I ended up at ABC Kenya Children’s Home. I studied there and when I was in class 8, I got a call… still at the children’s home.

All this time, I had never seen my dad. But I got a call to go bury him,” Bahati emotionally shared.

The digital content creator honored his dad by attending his funeral, despite his dad having abandoned him. After the burial, he made a deep vow to himself.

“I ran away from the children’s home so I’d get to attend the burial. And your excellency, one thing is I promised myself that day, is that… because my big brother Kioko was so bitter because he knew how badly life had treated us and how we had suffered in the slums.

But one thing I told myself is I will take advantage of every single opportunity offered to me. After the burial I went back to the children’s home until I cleared High School. Afterwards, I went back to the streets and I remember at one point I used to live at Mr. Seed’s mom’s house and then I joined music.

I am not the best vocalist in the country but in everything I do I have always ensured I do it to my level best,” the reality TV star shared as he marvelled at how far he has come and how he ensured he fulfilled the vow he’d made and gave himself the life he’d dreamed off.

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