The doctor who treated gospel singer Betty Bayo in her final hours has given a stark account of the medical crisis that unfolded before her death, describing how acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) pushed her body into a catastrophic state where it began destroying its own platelets.

Speaking at a briefing in Nairobi on Thursday, Dr Nderitu Wangui, a member of the team that attended to her, said the illness had advanced far beyond the point where early symptoms could offer warning.

“I want to share a simple account of how we reached this point and how much we tried before we lost Betty,” he said. “When I received the first call, the team needed only three pints of blood. At that moment, we did not yet have a diagnosis.”

A Silent, Aggressive Disease

Dr Wangui described AML as “deceptive,” with subtle signs that often appear only when the body is already in crisis. By the time fatigue or headaches set in, he said, blood counts have usually plunged.

In Bayo’s case, the disease had already pushed her into what he called “stage four,” where the bone marrow can no longer produce adequate blood cells.

“By that time, the cancer has already progressed through stages one, two, and three,” he said. “The patient is essentially at stage four — the point of bone marrow failure.”

The first transfusion went well. She was briefly discharged. But her condition collapsed later that evening.

A Night of Escalating Emergency

By 9 p.m., Bayo had been admitted to AAR Hospital on Kiambu Road as her health worsened sharply.

Dr Wangui said the team had been assured that nine pints of blood would be available. Instead, they faced acute shortages as her body burned through each transfusion almost as fast as it was delivered. The doctor explained that a single dose of platelets requires six litres of blood — the equivalent of what one donor provides.

“We wondered where the blood from the first transfusion had gone,” he said. “We were constantly bringing donors, processing blood, and transfusing it directly to Betty.”

It was during these intense interventions that the team finally confirmed the diagnosis: acute myeloid leukaemia.

By 3 a.m., her bone marrow had ceased producing platelets altogether. The few that were generated were immediately destroyed by her own immune system.

“At that stage, her body had effectively started feeding on itself,” he said.

A Life Lost Too Soon

Betty Bayo, known for hits such as “Busy Busy,” died on Monday, 10 November 2025, at 1:03 p.m. in the private wing of Kenyatta National Hospital, where she had been transferred after her condition deteriorated beyond what AAR Hospital could manage.

Her family described her death as “the will of God,” thanking the medical team for their efforts.

She leaves behind a devoted following, a catalogue of gospel music that shaped a generation, and a community grappling with the shock of how quickly her illness advanced.