It has been four months since Samuel Muchoki, aka Samidoh, apologised to his wife and fans for what he described as a “bad situation”.
The bad situation had to do with city lawyer and politician Karen Nyamu, with whom he has a child.
“The (affair) led to the birth of an innocent child whom I have and will always support both emotionally and materially…I’ m a proud father to my children,” he wrote on his Facebook wall.
In retrospect, Samidoh now says, the drama caused him great agony and his ego was dented by the reactions of netizens, who bombarded him with criticism in 5,523 comments that ensued in just one of the threads.
An Administration Police constable, Samidoh said the discipline from his training came in handy and he drew much resolve from the fact that “there is no way I could survive Al-Shabaab bullets while serving in some of the volatile parts of north-eastern counties only to come and be brought down by keyboard warriors who were armed with nothing more than mere toxic words”.
But Samidoh cracked a little bit and he gave his fans a glimpse of what he had gone through.
“It was baptism with fire…My celebrity status was turning into a consuming fire against me. My heart sank. But I drew a lot of solace in knowing that my relationship with God was still strong, and had he not commanded me to remain still?” he told Nation.Africa.
The emotional public apology ended with Samidoh saying, “I take full responsibility for my mistakes, which I regret. We have had our own shares of ups and downs (with his wife Eddah) but we are stronger and happy.”
Bad example
Samidoh has two children with Eddah, and he said he regretted that he was setting a bad example for all in his inner and outer circle.
Asked how his wife of 11 years and the children were coping with the Karen Nyamu episode, Samidoh retorted, “Cia mucii ti como” (domestic affairs are not for public consumption).
If that is the case, he was asked, why had he come out informing the world through social media about his personal affairs. He said, “Kanua njohini” (let your mouth engage better things like imbibing alcohol).
But he admitted that the issue had rocked his life, more than he was affected by reduced earnings from his music as Covid-19 led to the closure of entertainment joints due to restrictions meant to control the spread of the disease.
“The pandemic has hit us hard. Chancing on a show is a near miracle nowadays…We are in real trouble. But this issue of my public prominence for all the bad reasons appeared destined to ransack my life and leave it completely bared,” he said.
Closer to God
The episode brought his personal life closer to God, Samidoh said, and made him revisit the bond that has manifested in big ways in his journey of self-discovery.
Mugithi crooner Samuel Muchoki, better known as Samidoh (left) and politician Karen Nyamu.
Born in 1990 in Subukia village, Nakuru County, the third-born in a family of six boys, he lost his father when he was only three years old and his mother died when he was 15.
After skipping school repeatedly and doing menial jobs to raise fees, he in 2010 went to the local district commissioner and asked him for a job.
His prayer was answered when he was tipped by the administrator to show up for a police recruitment drive, where he was helped to secure admission to the Administration Police Training College in 2011.
Samidoh says the very God who saw him rise from his difficult upbringing to work for the National Police Service did not desert him in the Karen Nyamu fiasco.
“Today I can tell you for sure that my God liveth. The issue is now behind me and we are all coping alright…But I have a word of caution for the social media battalions…we are all human with our own flaws…let us not be quick to compete driving our fellow human beings over the emotional cliff,” he said.
In his 5:17-minute prayerful single released in March, “Ihinda Ringi” (another chance), a remorseful and apparently stressed-up Samidoh tells God, “If there was a time I really needed you, it’s now.”
Directed by Patma Austine, the afande crooner tells God that “let what bonds me together with you remain sustained in this my low moment” and “in all my foolish decisions, be forgiving me and also be granting me another chance to mend my ways”.
Samidoh reminds God, “I prayed to you that you expand my territories and you gave me a name and a favour…Do not let my star be my end and just like Samson in the hands of Philistines, let me overcome.”
After honing his skills as a backup vocalist for several musicians, Samidoh started recording his own music in 2016, debuting with “Ndiri Mutwe Mwega” (my head is not straight.)
Some of his other singles are “Wendo na Urimu” (love and foolishness), “Niwe Ndarathimiirwo” (you are my blessed), “Wendo Maguta” (oily love) and “Riari Itheru” (it was a joke)”, where he says he never meant to marry again, it was only that his life entertained a bad dream. BY DAILY NATION