By Prudence Minayo
Emmy Kosgei is a celebrated Kenyan gospel musician who currently lives in Nigeria. She ranks among the most accomplished gospel musicians in Kenya. The award winning artist was awarded the Head of State Commendation during the promulgation of Kenya’s 2010 constitution. She also got a chance to perform in front of the who is who in Kenya.
One of the most successful albums she released was “Taunet Nelel.” The song, whose lyrics were mainly in Kalenjin, transcended tribal boundaries and even went beyond the borders of Kenya.
Age
Emmy Kosgei was born on 22nd July 1980 in Koibatek, Rift valley county.
Family
The songbird is the second born in a family of four children, three girls and one boy. Both her parents are ministers of God. Her father is Bishop Jackson Kosgei and was once nominated by the Jubilee party for a position in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Marriage
In 2013 the songstress got married to Apostle Anselm Madubuko. The wedding was the talk of town with everyone giving their views about it. The main issue was that the apostle was way too old for the singer. ‘Social media in laws’ had a field day when the singer introduced her would-be husband. Despite the controversy, the couple have been married for seven years. In an interview with Parents magazine, Emmy portrayed Apostle Anselm as a good husband who understands her.
“ When I was getting into relationships, one of the things I was keen on was that my partner would love me for me. Not my status. Anselm and I understand each other so much, there’s no room for conflict or misunderstanding. If we decide to undertake something and I am not pleased, I can voice my displeasure,. This is something we cultivated way before our marriage.
He would always tell me ‘Talk to me. Tell me anything even if its silly’ and that has helped us when you met us you’d think it’s a hoax but we really don’t fight over things. We communicate a lot and our faith helps……,” said Emmy.
Children
The talented singer is step mother to Velma, Sandra and Anselm Jr. The gospel song composer has no biological children of her own but she has a good relationship with her step children.
“……….. My step children respect me and call me mum. I don’t take it for granted. Their children also refer to me as grandma, even though I am a grandmother before becoming a mum myself,” the Nigerian based singer told Parents Magazine.
Career
At a very young age, Emmy loved music and by the time she was in high school, she was doing collaborations with other artists. Recording songs with maximum Christian melodies also helped her a lot in her career. Emmy has released several songs and 5 albums (including Katau Banda, Kaswech In, Taunet Nelel and Ololo) which are inspirational and reach a massive audience. The song “Taunet Nelel” became an instant hit after its release and won her the Groove Awards, an annual award that features gospel artists in East Africa.
Since she relocated to Nigeria the singer has been doing singles. The most popular one in the country is “Subira” which featured several gospel singers, including Kenya’s Evelyn Wanjiru and Mercy Masika.
Emmy was also among a select few musicians to be nominated for the Best International Gospel Act Award.
Apart from singing, Emmy was once appointed a cultural ambassador by the Ministry of Tourism.
Philanthropy
The award winning musician also loves helping people. She runs a school called Hope Academy in Baringo that helps needy children acquire education.
“ I picked the students from the time they were in baby class to class 8. We started from zero, and I pay for everything for them, from books to uniforms. I take them to my events, I do tours for them and take them to places normally they wouldn’t think of going,” she told Parents.
She is also a good will ambassador for a center for children with disability in Nairobi’s Korogocho slums.
Controversy
The artist came under fire when she suggested that Kalenjin men are scared of approaching beautiful women. In a Facebook interview with Alfred Koech, Kosgei said that no Kalenjin man asked her hand in marriage. She faulted men from her community for going beating round the bush instead of expressing their feelings in a straightforward manner. These sentiments were not received well by Kalenjin men.
