Daddy Owen reflects on fading African communal values after rare welcome during burial
By Steve Ireri, February 7, 2026Revered Kenyan gospel singer Daddy Owen has shared an emotional reflection after a family rolled out the red carpet for him while attending a burial in Machakos.
In a post on his Facebook page on Saturday, February 7, 2026, the singer revealed that a young girl approached him and his brother at the burial, identifying herself as his biggest fan.
He shared that the warm reception started after she gently requested that he visit her parents, who lived as neighbours to the bereaved family.
“Yesterday, at a burial in Machakos, a young girl approached me and my brother. With a shy smile, she told me she was my biggest fan and gently asked if I could go and say hello to her mum and dad. She said they were neighbours to the bereaved family,” he wrote.
The artiste explained that they took a shortcut through bushy and narrow paths, tangled with thicket and thorns, before slipping through a fence and entering the neighbours’ compound.
He revealed that upon entering the compound, they were welcomed warmly by strangers who invited them to sit and share a meal without asking any questions.
“We took a shortcut, through bushy, narrow paths tangled with thicket and thorns, past long grass and bamboo, under mango trees heavy with fruit hanging low, almost touching our heads. We slipped through a fence and suddenly found ourselves among strangers who welcomed us warmly, as though we had always belonged. They invited us to sit and eat with them, no questions asked,” he wrote.
The ‘Tobina’ hitmaker added that the experience evoked a deep sense of nostalgia, reminding him of his upbringing in Kakamega, when life was communal, doors were open, and humanity and kindness were placed above all else.
He emphasised that moments such as these, which once occurred as ordinary gestures of everyday life, now appeared extraordinary in their rarity.
“It was such a simple moment, yet deeply profound. An experience that feels rare these days. As Africans, I feel we are slowly losing this kind of culture, where hospitality was instinctive, where community came naturally,” he wrote.
The artiste expressed gratitude to the family, naming them as Joy and Gift, for their generosity and hospitality, and prayed for blessings upon them for the warmth and kindness they had shown.
He further noted that the experience left an indelible mark on him, demonstrating that simple acts of community, inclusion, and generosity continue to exist even in a time when such gestures are no longer common.
“Moments like these used to be ordinary; now they feel extraordinary. It stirred a deep nostalgia in me, reminding me of how we grew up in Kakamega, when life was communal, doors were open, and humanity came before everything else. Thank you, JOY and GIFT, for your hospitality, and may GOD BLESS YOU,” he wrote.
