Regina Muthoni’s last radio interview and her story of hiding behind a borrowed name
Just weeks before her demise, celebrated gospel artiste Regina Muthoni appeared on a local Kikuyu radio station, opening up about her personal journey in what would later be remembered as her last public interview.
In the emotional conversation aired on September 3, 2025, the soft-spoken singer revealed the hidden truths behind her name, her humble beginnings, and the struggles that shaped her faith and music.
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Regina revealed that many people knew her by the name Muthoni, but few were aware that it was not her real name.
She said that Muthoni was a stage name she adopted from her father’s sister, explaining that her real name was Ndunguru.
‘By the way, what many people do not know is that Muthoni is not my real name. It is just a stage name. My real name is Ndunguru, the name my mother gave me when I was born,” she shared.
She added that she did not like the name very much because it reminded her of a local primary school in her village from which it was derived. Regina noted that her mother had given her the name at birth, but as she grew older, she preferred to introduce herself simply as Regina.
“I do not like it very much, which is why I usually say I am Regina and stop there. Muthoni was actually my father’s sister’s name, and I decided to take it later and use it as my stage name. The name Ndunguru came from a local primary school in our village that was called the same, and that is how my mother chose it,” Regina added.
The singer explained that she had chosen to use the name Muthoni later in life when she began performing, saying it carried a sense of familiarity and identity.
She shared that people from both Kirinyaga and Embu counties claimed her as one of their own, revealing that she was born in Kirinyaga at a market centre called Ithare but later got married in Embu. She said that Kirinyaga people considered her theirs by birth, while Embu people also said she belonged to them by marriage, a situation she found both amusing and heartwarming.
“I was born in Kirinyaga, in a marketplace called Ithare. That is my home, but I got married in Embu. So, people from Embu say I am theirs, and people from Kirinyaga also say I am theirs. They keep debating over me, with Kirinyaga people saying I belong to them by birth, and Embu people saying I belong to them by marriage.”
Evangelism
Regina further shared that despite her popularity, she had been away from the public spotlight for a while because she had devoted most of her time to evangelism and prayer.
She said she still sang and preached at the same time, explaining that many people had stopped seeing her frequently because she was often doing missionary work and spending time in prayer.
She added that even when she fell ill, she would pray against the disease rather than seek medical attention, saying her faith had always been her greatest strength.
“So, I still exist, and I still sing and preach at the same time. That is why people have not been seeing me much. Many times, I do evangelism and prayers, and that is where I hide. Even when a disease comes to me, I pray against it,” the singer had shared.
Reflecting on her early life, Regina recounted the struggles she faced growing up in a humble family.
She lamented that although she had a strong desire to study, she was forced to drop out of school because her parents could not afford the fees. She said that if her parents had been financially stable, she would have completed her education up to university level.
“My growing-up life was long and full of challenges. I would like to tell those with able parents to pursue their education fully. If my parents had been financially able, I would have gone to university. But I never went far because of school fee problems,” she shared.
Regina added that after leaving school, she began working as a househelp, earning seven hundred shillings per month.
She revealed that she worked so diligently that her employer decided to keep her salary, promising to give her the full amount later.
However, she noted that the promise was never fulfilled. Feeling betrayed, she took thirty shillings and left the job.
“I dropped out and became a househelp. I worked hard, and my employer liked me so much that they increased my salary to seven hundred shillings per month. Later, the boss said they would keep my money for me and give it to me in total. But I worked for many months, and they never paid me. When I threatened to leave, they said they would not pay me fully. I took thirty shillings and left.”
Regina narrated that while travelling home, she met a police officer who was speaking with a driver about needing a househelp. After overhearing their conversation, she began to cry and shared her story with them. The officer offered her employment, marking the turning point in her life.
“While on my way home, there was a police officer seated next to the driver, talking about how he was looking for a househelp. When I heard that, I started crying. They asked me why I was crying, and I told them my story,” she added.
Regina said that it was during this period that she began writing songs and slowly nurturing her singing talent. She revealed that her gospel journey was built on persistence, faith, and the lessons she had drawn from her difficult upbringing.
“The officer asked me if I wanted him to employ me, and he did. I was paid well, and it was during that time that I began writing songs and started singing little by little.”
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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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