Gospel music fans of Rose Muhando know her as the energetic Tanzanian songbird who would bring the roof down once she took the stage.
But for the last half a decade, that star seems to have faded after allegations of fraud, drug addiction and even health issues dogged Muhando.
The house of cards that is fame, came crumbling down in a heap when news of Rose Muhando procuring an abortion hit the headlines. This was in early 2015.
Rumours that the gospel sensation had to address.
“I’M A MATURE GOD-FEARING WOMAN WHO IS RUNNING A MINISTRY. I CANNOT PROCURE AN ABORTION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE THINGS BEYOND US,” SAID THE CELEBRATED ARTISTE.
The Nibebe hitmaker has put those rumours to rest and clarified that she was never questioned by police or the media.
“I’M A MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN AND A GROWN-UP. AT MY AGE, WHY WOULD I GO FOR AN ABORTION? DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HER LIFE?” SHE ASKED.
Adding, “I was suffering from a strange disease that caused my legs to swell for three months. I will bring evidence from the doctor for you to understand that I’m not 18,” she said.
Another of her contact person told Global Publisher at the time, “My sister (Rose) has been taken to hospital in Area C, after she was bitten by a snake at night as she entered the gates at her home. The snake that bit her was so huge which left her severely wounded,” her contact person
Rose Muhando blamed some members of her team that she fired for peddling the malicious rumours.
Last year, the singer wanted to relocate to Kenya after receiving death threats from a bishop who she said has been sexually harassing her and wanted her to give in to his sexual demands or face ruin.
In the interview with a popular Tanzanian paper, Rose Muhando claims the bishop wanted sexual favours as repayment for helping her out financially with her music career.
The musician claims that her efforts to report the bishop to security authorities have been futile because the man of the cloth was well connected politically.
While this drama was ongoing, Muhando was again hit with claims that she has sunk into a deep dark abyss of drug addiction.
Claims she denied vehemently.
Tanzanian paper, Ijumaa Wikienda quotes her saying:
“I AM NOT USING DRUGS AND WILL NEVER USE THEM. IF THE BISHOP THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE SCANDAL THAT WOULD BRING ME DOWN, THEN I KNOW HE IS IN FOR A RUDE SHOCK. HE WANTED TO USE ME FOR SEX AND MAKE MONEY FROM MY MUSIC BUT I REFUSED. I AM SADDENED BY THE THINGS HE SAID ABOUT ME BECAUSE IT TOUCHES ON MY FAMILY, WHICH HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG. BUT I KNOW GOD IS WITH ME AND HEAVENS WILL OPEN UP.”
These claims went hand in hand with how she was spending her money.
Sections of the media also documented how promoters and church leaders kept crying foul because the gospel star would agree to come perform at their churches or venues, insist on a down payment and never show up.
Many of the promoters kept off her doorstep and stopped giving her business.
BUT ROSE MUHANDO DISMISSED THE CLAIMS SAYING, “IF AT ALL I AM CONNING PROMOTERS THEN WHY IS IT THAT I AM NOT IN COURT OR DOES IT MEAN THEY LET ME GO?”
It remains to be seen if Rose Muhando who has four albums will have a career in the months to come after all these damning allegations after, scandalous allegation marring her good name.
A while back, Muhando was in Kenya for a performance with a vernacular Kamba artiste Stephene Kasolo at the Champions of Christ International church in Athi River.
Rose and Kasolo have a song together titled Hautasumbuka Tena.
Check it out below.
Kasolo defended Rose saying:
“MAMA ROSE MUHANDO HAS FACED A LOT IN LIFE BUT MY HAPPINESS IS THAT SHE HAS NEVER GIVEN UP!!! SHE’S A MOTHER TO ME AND I RESPECT HER SO MUCH. ROSE HAS CHANGED MANY PEOPLE’S LIVES THROUGH HER MUSIC STARTING WITH ME. YESTERDAY SHE VISITED ME IN ATHI RIVER WHERE SHE SAID, “I WILL KEEP THE FIRE BURNING TILL THE DAY OF THE LORD!”
During the crusade hosted at the Athi River church, Rose Muhando read the riot act to her haters.
In a message to her haters, Rose Muhando said, “Ambia adui wako, ni lazima wakae. Sisi tuu ndio tunatakikana kusimama na kuenda mbele, hao wanatakikana wakae tuu. Wako na vimbele mbele kama mifuko ya polisi.”
Rose Muhando looked like a shadow of her younger energetic self. Wearing a striped t-shirt and floral skirt, the singer looks like she has lost a lot of weight. Her legs had black scaring and her right hand was bandaged. Her cheekbones are sticking out and the fire we once saw in her eyes, long gone.
Is the iconic star still in there?
Many asked.
Raising the injured hand up and pointing to the skies, she threw subliminal jabs at her haters.
She said: “Who doesn’t know that once I sung until the earth shook? Who doesn’t?”
“THE DEVIL WAS NOT PLEASED, HE FOUGHT ME AND BEAT ME DOWN, TO SILENCE ME, ANYHOW HE COULD. THE LORD SAW ALL THIS AND HE TOLD THE DEVIL TO DO ALL HE WANTS WITH ME AS LONG AS HE DOESN’T TOUCH MY LIFE. BUT NOW, HERE I STILL AM, DOING FINE,” ROSE SAID STANDING ON THE PULPIT.
“And God has given me another precious gift, [Beside singing] to be a fisher of men. For this I know the devil, the wizards, witches, demons and all evil people know what is going to happen.”
Rose Muhando went on with her long winded speech.
“Mimi ni mtu wa kawaida, hata ukiniangalia. Lakini Mungu ameniheshimu. Watu wengi wanasema nimeimba, lakini moyoni mwangu sijaimba bado. I told God last year, give me the chance, I want to sing my heart out.”
SHE CONTINUED, “FOR 4 YEARS, GOD TOLD ME, BE STILL, KEEP QUIET, I WANT TO SHOW YOU WONDERS. AND FOR 4 YEARS I KEPT SILENT. I DID NOT RECORD A SINGLE SONG. BUT DECEMBER LAST YEAR, GOD TOLD ME TO GO CAST MY NET INTO THE OCEAN. THE TIME HAS ARRIVED. AND I DID. I DESIRE FOR THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS [STILL STANDING], BECAUSE OF HIS STRENGTH.”
After promoters and church leaders stopped calling her for events due to the scandals dogging her, Rose Muhando says, singer Stephene Kasolo is the only one who had her back, during the bleak period.
“KASOLO HAJAWAI KUNINENA VIBAYA, MARA MINGI AMENICONNECT KWA PASTOR WENGI, IF YOU SEE HIM BEING BLESSED, IT IS BECAUSE HE HAS SAID GOOD THINGS ABOUT ME.”
“Chini siendi,” Muhado taunted her detractors, as if to say, ‘Look, I’m back, b*tches!’.
But as a good Christian, she added, “Ukitaka kupata nafasi ya aliye juu ni kumsongeza juu. Jifunze kubariki ili ubarikiwe. Jua kuwabariki wenzako, ili ubarikiwe.”
Watch the entire video here.
That was a year ago, now she seems to have received the treatment she needed and is back to her old self.
Check out her recent photos with Reverend Lucy Natasha.
