Nigerian bishop Anselm Madubuko has revealed little-known details about his relationship with Kenyan gospel singer Emmy Kosgei.
In an interview with Dr. Ofweneke, Madubuko admitted that winning Emmy over was no easy feat.
“I first saw her in Mombasa and thought, ‘Whoever marries this woman will be a blessed man.’ At the time, I was still married,” he shared.
Not long after, Madubuko lost his wife and initially vowed never to remarry.
“I had made up my mind not to marry again. But one day, my firstborn son told me, ‘You should marry that girl.’ I didn’t even know Emmy personally, nor were we friends.
Then, a second person told me she didn’t like seeing me alone and hinted that I should consider marrying Emmy,” he recalled.
Despite the suggestion, Madubuko was hesitant, mainly because of their age difference.
“I told her I wanted to marry her. My wife had passed away just months after I first saw Emmy in Mombasa.”
I started looking at her differently, but I thought, ‘Maybe she’s too young for me.’ However, God told me, ‘I don’t give old women to kings.’”
According to the bishop, wooing Emmy wasn’t easy.
“I got her number and called her. At the time, she was in a troubled relationship, but they later broke up,” he revealed.
Even then, convincing Emmy was a challenge.
“She was too religious. She only saw me as a man of God, so thinking of me as a husband was a big deal for her.”
On why Kenyan women love Nigerian men, Madubuko shared his perspective:
“Women should be loved. You shouldn’t turn your wife into your cook. You need to be patient with them.”
Though Emmy and Madubuko have no children together, the bishop has three children from his late wife, as well as grandchildren.
In a past interview, Emmy stressed that despite not having biological children, she still considers herself a mother.
“By the time we got married, my husband already had three children—two daughters and a son—plus grandchildren. They all call me ‘mother.’
“I am raising more kids than I can even count. I’m educating and feeding so many children. I mother both young and old women at our church.”
She further stressed that motherhood is about more than just giving birth.
“You never know what someone is going through, yet people are quick to judge. Motherhood is not just about childbirth—it’s a role, a calling, an office. It is a wide range of things. Some people have limited it to just one aspect,” she said.
By peninah njoki
