Renowned Ohangla musician Maureen Achieng Otiu, popularly known as Lady Maureen, is admitted at St Francis Community Hospital in Kasarani, Nairobi.
The musician had surgery last Saturday after being diagnosed with hypotension (a condition associated with low blood pressure). She also has a growth on her back and paralysis on the right side of her body.
This comes barely two months after she was released from prison in Mwanza, Tanzania, where she was arrested and jailed together with her 15 band members.
They were behind bars for nine days for allegedly working in Tanzania without permits, a claim the musician described as a ploy to tarnish her name and career through bad press.
Speaking to The Standard on her release (this newspaper highlighted her story that saw well-wishers come to her rescue), Lady Maureen blamed a promoter who she claimed worked in cahoots with Tanzanian immigration officers to confiscate their travelling documents after a pay dispute.
Suffered shock
Prior to the incident, Lady Maureen suffered shock after the launch of her album failed at Egesa East Villa, Nairobi, in early February. She was admitted at Nairobi Women’s Hospital for four days.
According to a close friend of the musician, whose latest release, Prison, is doing well locally, she fell ill last week prior to a concert in Migori town.
Despite having complained of general body weakness and numbness on her right side, she performed in Migori before returning to Nairobi, where she staged another show. Her condition deteriorated after the show.
“We rushed her to the nearest hospital in Harambee Sacco estate where she lives, but after examination, the hospital referred her to St Francis Community in Kasarani," said the friend.
Speaking to The Standard, a doctor who sought anonymity said Lady Maureen was in the hospital's intensive care unit but described her condition as "stable and out of danger".
Meanwhile, her medical bill is growing, according to local musicians who visited her in hospital.
