Kenyan singer Iyanii has opened up about a harrowing near-death experience from his younger years, revealing how he was once shot during a chaotic night in Nairobi’s Mathare area.
Speaking on the Mic Cheque podcast, the hitmaker reflected on life before fame, describing the harsh environment he grew up in and the constant exposure to crime that shaped his early years.
Iyanii admitted that many of his childhood friends were involved in criminal activities, a reality that often placed him in dangerous situations.
He recounted a night when he attended a reggae show with friends, unaware that one of them had stolen a woman’s handbag. The theft triggered an immediate commotion, forcing the group to flee as police moved in.
In the confusion, Iyanii ran and jumped into a Dandora-bound matatu to escape. It was only moments later that he realised something was wrong.
“I sat in the matatu, and a lady looked at me and told me I was bleeding. That’s when it hit me that I had been shot,” he recalled.
The singer said he did not feel any pain at the time due to the adrenaline, only later realising how close he had come to losing his life. He even showed podcast hosts the bullet scar that remains on his arm as a reminder of that night.
Iyanii noted that breaking away from his peers was not easy, explaining that growing up together created bonds that were difficult to sever. He also recalled, with irony, how one friend’s involvement in crime helped him acquire his first mobile phone while in high school.
Today, the contrast between his past and present is stark. Many of the friends he grew up with have since lost their lives to crime, while his decision to pursue music became his turning point.
Now enjoying national success with hits like Donjo Maber, Iyanii says his past continues to shape his purpose. He revealed a deep passion for giving back, particularly through charity work in prisons, hoping to inspire inmates to choose a different path.
“Music saved me,” he said, reflecting on a journey that transformed pain and survival into purpose.