This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
July 18, 2020, will be remembered as a sad day in the Kenyan entertainment industry, as news of the passing of Charles Bukeko, famously known as Papa Shirandula, spread like wildfire.
According to his brother-in-law, Rorland Wanyama, Papa Shirandula died of complications related to coronavirus.
Wanyama revealed that Papa Shirandula had been experiencing breathing complications after being diagnosed with the virus on Monday.
"He collapsed at the parking today morning at Karen hospital before he was attended by doctors," Wanyama said.
Wanyama added that Papa Shirandula had developed complications on Sunday after traveling away from Nairobi and had been advised to undergo home-based care.
However, his condition worsened, and he was rushed to the hospital, where he eventually succumbed to the virus.
Papa Shirandula was a renowned Kenyan actor, thespian, singer, and director who rose to fame with his iconic role in the popular TV series Papa Shirandula, which aired on Citizen TV.
He had also appeared in several other notable TV shows, including The Captain of Nakara (2012), and had become a household name in Kenya.
