Popular Mugithi singer Gibson Kioi Wairimu, who was better known by his stage name Kioi Junior, has passed away.
Kioi’s death was announced by his fellow Kikuyu musicians on Tuesday, April 30th.
He passed away on Monday, April 29th, while undergoing treatment at the KU Referral Hospital where he had been admitted.
In 2020, he made headlines when he openly declared himself an atheist, denying the existence of both God and Satan.
Kioi expressed his disbelief in supernatural powers despite being brought up in a religious environment.
“I live as if there is no God, and I don’t think people should lie to themselves. All I need is proof that either God or Satan exists. Faith is ignorance,” he said in an interview.
The singer was a member of the Global Atheist Republic, based in the USA.
In a post from December 2023, Kioi Junior unapologetically expressed his atheist beliefs amidst criticism.
“I’m not sorry for pissing you off with my atheism posts.
“In fact, if you’re sincere about human welfare, have you apologized for all the atrocities religion has caused? Like the molestation of young boys by Catholic priests… and you still think I’m crazy?” he wrote.
In another post, he highlighted what he saw as hypocrisy among his followers, particularly in their religious sentiments.
“It’s ironic how religious people, especially Christians, keep telling me how much they care about my soul and how they don’t want me to go to hell when I die.
“Well, I find it highly hypocritical to pretend that you care about my afterlife when in this life you hardly bother to check if I’m hungry or sick.
“It’s obvious you don’t care, but you keep lying about it,” he wrote.
