William Kinyonga, a founding member of the once-popular Simba Wanyika band, has been given a new lease on life after being rescued from the streets by Nairobi County Officer Geoffrey Mosiria.
Mosiria, recently reassigned from Chief Officer for Environment to Customer Service and Citizen Engagement by Governor Johnson Sakaja, shared in a video the dire conditions Kinyonga was living in before the rescue.
He explained that Kinyonga was homeless and struggling on Nairobi’s streets, prompting him to act after several well-wishers encouraged him to intervene.
Simba Wanyika Founder William Kinyonga Rescued from Streets by Nairobi County Officer. Photo: Courtesy.
Mosiria ensured that Kinyonga received new clothes and shoes and personally escorted him to a home for the elderly, where he can now live safely and receive proper care.
In a video, William Kinyonga appeared frail and unkempt, struggling to communicate with Mosiria. Once a celebrated musician, he had been living around Nairobi’s Majengo slums.
Kinyonga, along with his brothers Wilson and George, formed the iconic Simba Wanyika band in 1971 after moving from Tanzania.
Inspired by soukous guitarists, their guitar-driven rumba with Swahili lyrics made them a household name in Kenya by the mid-1970s with hits like Mwongele and Wana Wanyika.
Internal splits led to offshoot bands, including Les Wanyika, formed in 1978 by guitarist Omar Shabani.
In 1980, George Kinyonga left to form Orchestra Jobiso but later returned to Simba Wanyika, which later renamed itself ‘Simba Wanyika Original’ to distinguish from offshoots like Les Wanyika and Super Wanyika Stars.
The band enjoyed a revival in the mid-1980s, releasing hits and touring Europe in 1989, before disbanding in 1994.
Mosiria has appealed to well-wishers to assist Kinyonga in returning to his birthplace, Tanzania, where he owns property.
