Kanyari responds to claims he is outshining Betty Bayo’s widower, Tash, in mourning her
Salvation Healing Ministries founder Pastor Victor Kanyari has addressed growing claims that he has been mourning more openly than Betty Bayo’s widower, Hiram Gitau, popularly known as Tash.
Speaking in a Facebook live on Wednesday, November 13, 2025, Kanyari clarified that his reaction has been guided purely by grief and not competition, explaining that everyone expresses pain differently.
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“So when people say that Kanyari is crying and mourning more than Tash, everyone has their own way of expressing grief. I am a very emotional person, and when I cry, it comes naturally, no one can control that,” Kanyari shared.
The preacher noted that Betty Bayo played a major role in his life, describing her as the person who connected him to Tash, whom he now deeply respects for stepping in to care for their two children, Sky and Dani, after their separation.
“Betty Bayo is actually the reason I got to know Tash. If it were not for Tash, maybe even my children would have faced challenges, but I respect Tash because he has been taking care of Sky and Dany,” Kanyari shared.
Kanyari said Betty Bayo and Tash had been living together, and that he would often visit to pick up the children and later return them.
He appreciated that Tash treated the children kindly and took care of their needs, adding that he has also continued supporting them financially.
“I have the financial statements showing how I have been supporting my children, but Tash, together with Betty Bayo, is the one who lived together and took care of them. Sometimes I would visit, pick them up, and later return them. That is why I give credit to Tash and his family, and I mourn together with him,” Kanyari added.
Negativity
Kanyari then urged Kenyans to avoid making negative comparisons between him and Tash, insisting that this was a moment to honour Betty Bayo’s memory and celebrate her impact.
He said that according to their culture, it is wrong to speak ill of the dead and that his focus remains on remembering her for her ministry and the lives she touched through music.
“In our culture, we do not speak ill of the dead, and my heart is filled with sadness as we find strength to talk about someone like Betty Bayo, who touched so many hearts. She sang songs that led people to salvation and songs that made us love her deeply. Betty Bayo was everything,” he said.
He described Betty Bayo as a woman who healed hearts and brought people to salvation through her songs, noting that if it were possible, he would have given everything he had to keep her alive.
He said God loved her more and decided to call her home, urging fans to speak only positive things about her legacy.
“She sang songs that led people to salvation and songs that made us love her deeply. Betty Bayo was everything. If I had been told to give, I would have given billions of shillings just to make her well again. I would have found that money. But God loved her more, and this is the time to speak good things about Betty Bayo, not bad ones,” Kanyari said.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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