Lost in Nairobi: Gospel song miraculously reunites visiting Congolese mother with Kenya-based musician son

Nairobi’s bustling streets can be unforgiving to a stranger, more so to a 72-year-old woman lost in the chaos of the city’s backstreets at night.

But for Deborah Baraka Mutalegwa, a divine twist of fate turned what could have been a tragic ordeal into a miraculous reunion; one led by the power of a gospel song.

Mutalegwa and her husband, Bigisho Enoch, had journeyed from the Democratic Republic of Congo, passing through Rwanda and into Kenya to visit their son Amenipa Bigisho, a gospel musician and church worship leader, together with his family in Embakasi, Nairobi.

But their long-awaited family reunion took an unexpected turn when Mutalegwa got separated from her husband shortly after arriving in Nairobi.

At around 8 pm, the couple arrived at River Road, Nairobi, where they disembarked from their bus. While her husband kept watch over their luggage, Mutalegwa went to relieve herself in a nearby building. That simple trip to the washroom became the beginning of a long and distressing night.

"I mistakenly exited through a different door than the one I had entered. When I came out, I couldn't find my husband or our luggage. I thought he had left, impatient because I took too long," Mutalegwa recounted.

She started searching for him, unknowingly walking further away from their original spot. With no phone, no money, and no idea of the city’s layout, she found herself swallowed by Nairobi’s labyrinthine streets.

As she wandered, confusion turned to fear. But amidst the uncertainty, she encountered a good Samaritan, a woman who recognised her vulnerability.

“She told me not to continue walking in the direction I was heading, as it wasn’t safe for a woman alone at night,” Mutalegwa recalled.

Touched by her plight, the woman paid for a guest room where she could spend the night. Grateful but still determined, Mutalegwa resumed her search the next morning, walking endlessly, retracing her steps, and hoping to recognise something familiar.

Her search led her to Huruma estate, where another kind-hearted woman listened to her story and decided to help.

“She suggested we go to the police station and report the case. She even accompanied me there," Mutalegwa said.

At the police station, officers were reluctant to keep her overnight, unsure of how to assist. But just as it seemed hope was fading, one compassionate officer stepped in.

“When it got colder and darker, a female officer offered me shelter for the night. The following morning, as she was preparing for work, she played a gospel song on her phone,” Mutalegwa recalled. The song? Tumepewa Uwezo, a song by her son.

“When the song played, I told the officer, ‘That is my son singing!’ We watched the video together, and I confirmed it," she narrated.

 The video had the location of his church, Parklands Baptist Church. Without hesitation, we boarded a motorcycle and headed to the church.”

Meanwhile, her husband, Bigisho, was frantic. He had not left River Road, holding onto hope that his wife would return. With the help of their son, Amenipa, also a one-time winner of the Team Manager of the Year award during the 2014 Kenya Premier League, whose music would later play a crucial role.

Missing person posters with her image were circulated online.

“I hadn’t eaten for two days; I was too worried for my wife’s safety,” Bigisho said, recalling his sleepless nights.

Then came the breakthrough. As Mutalegwa arrived at Parklands Baptist Church, one of the church leaders who was driving out of the compound immediately recognised her. A call was placed, and within minutes, her family arrived.

When Amenipa saw his mother standing there, alive and well, he could barely believe it.

“It can only be a miracle,” he said. “What are the odds that my song would play just when we were desperate to find her? We had prayed, searched, and spread the word, and just like that, God answered through music.”

Her husband, overwhelmed with emotion, echoed the sentiment:

“A man of God, Pastor Bern Otuma, had assured me that my wife would be found safe and sound. And truly, God made a way.”

After 48 hours lost in Nairobi, Mutalegwa was finally home. Her journey had been a terrifying mix of confusion, fear, and faith. But in the end, it was music, her own son’s gospel song which led her to safety.