A viral video showing Tanzanian gospel singer Rose Muhando being exorcised by Pastor James Ng’ang’a at Neno Evangelism Center has put her long-running troubles back in the spotlight.
The footage, which circulated widely online, showed the singer on the floor during what was presented as a deliverance session. In the exchange captured on video, Muhando is heard speaking in Kiswahili as the supposed demons say: “We are ten. We have proclaimed that she will never sing again. When she sings, it is not good for us.”
The same account also claimed that her manager had been involved in the problems affecting her life and career, including the loss and ridicule of her property. The video did not resolve whether the scene was a genuine exorcism or a staged event, but it reignited public debate around the singer’s condition and career decline.
Muhando was once among East Africa’s most recognisable gospel performers, with songs such as “Nibebe” earning her a large following. Her energetic stage presence and lively dancing made her a standout figure in the genre.
Her recent history has, however, been marked by repeated allegations and public controversy. Over the years, she has faced claims that she aborted a seven-month pregnancy, suffered a snake bite, and was arrested after allegedly failing to appear at a church event despite having been paid in advance.
There have also been rumours of drug addiction, allegations she has denied before. Earlier in the year, a social media photo of her drew concern after viewers said she appeared frail, with visible cheek bones, a bandaged arm, and dark spots on her legs.
Muhando later addressed her condition during a church visit in Athi River in May, saying the problems were the result of spiritual attack. She told the congregation, “Who doesn’t know that once I sang 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,” adding that God allowed the devil to test her but not take her life.
After the exorcism video spread, she was also heard telling Ng’ang’a that she had been exhausted and away from home for six months. In that account, she said the demons had ruined her life, taken her cars, and left her unable to pay school fees for her children. “I thank God. I was tired, pastor. Tired! For six months I have not been at home. The demons destroyed me, manufactured every ill thing against me. They’ve taken all of my cars. My child who was in secondary school is now at home and I can no longer afford school fees for my children. I have no one!” she said.
The video has left unanswered questions about timing and context, but it has clearly revived scrutiny of a singer whose career once appeared to be soaring and whose public story has since been defined by hardship, allegations, and denial.
