The queen of Gengetone Sylvia Saru alias Ssaru has revealed that she nearly died while growing up at Bura Mission in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County.

In an interview with Billy Miya on Maskani47, Ssaru described how she was afflicted by a mysterious illness, which she attributed to a detrimental ‘evil eye’.

Ssaru shared that her mother told her that a ‘wicked gaze’ caused her to experience a debilitating paralysis, leading to her appearing ‘skeletal’.

“Hii nayo mamangu aliniambia. Siikumbuki na siwezi jua kama ni ukweli. Niliambiwa nikiwa mdogo, kuna wakati nilishikwa na ugonjwa – ati wakati mtu akikuangalia na macho mbaya. Nilikauka mwili mzima nilikuwa nakaa kama skeleton. I couldn’t move or do anything. I almost died,” said Ssaru.

The ‘Maintain’ hitmaker said the only method to dispel the ‘evil eye’ directed at her was through the application of urine.

She detailed that her choices included either drinking her urine or being urinated upon to ward off the evil eye.

“The only way unaweza pona ni labda mtu akukojolee au unywe mkojo wako wewe mwenyewe,” said Ssaru.

However, due to Ssaru’s inability to urinate because of her weakened state, a grandmother from the village was requested to assist.

Ssaru chuckled at the thought of being urinated on but expressed gratitude to the grandmother for saving her life.

“Oh Gosh! Aki waliita cucu fulani hapo. I appreciate her though for saving my life. I cant imagine kuna mtu alinikojolea,” said Ssaru.

The rapper recounted another incident in which she accidentally ran over a python while rolling a hoop in her village.

Ssaru recalled that she inadvertently ran over the python while rolling the bicycle rim after the snake unexpectedly crossed her path.

“Nikiwa mtoto, kuna siku nilikuwa na-ride ‘kidangala’. ‘Kidangala’ ni rim ya tyre ya bike. Kuna design unaride na kijiti fulani. So, nilikuwa nakimbia na kidangala alafu, ilipita juu ya chatu,” said Ssaru.

She said the bicycle rim rebounded after passing over the snake, prompting her to inadvertently leap over it as well.

“Nilikuwa naikimbiza kidangala mbio, tukaruka zote,” said the rapper.

Although the snake was non-venomous, Ssaru said she could have faced fatal consequences had the python bitten her.

“Haikuniuma kwa vile nilimruka huyo chatu bila kujua… Huyo chatu angeniwahi, hakungekuwa na Ssaru leo hii… Since then sijawahi kuisahau hiyo incident,” said Ssaru.