March 19, 2024

Dad Had a Big Heart, Bereaved Actress Opens Up

Neema Sulubu. Image: MWAKWAYA RAYMOND

By MWAKWAYA RAYMOND MWAKWAYA 
Email: thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

A Coast based artist is ruing over the loss of her father last week at the age of 76 after battling unknown ailment for some time until this January when it was discovered to be a kidney problem. 
Salome Nema Sulubu, an ambitious TV actress, is overwhelmed by the loss of her dear dad who has been her driving force throughout her life with his death leaving a huge void that will be difficult to fill. 
Immediately his ailment was discovered, the deceased was introduced to the routine dialysis process but succumbed to the disease at Tawfiq Hospital in Malindi. Currently, the body is lying at Star Hospital mortuary waiting for burial.
Ms Nema, a presenter at Baraka FM for Weekend show, Saturday Takeover, where she plays rhythm-and-blues (R&B) is devastated by this loss that whenever you call her she’s dumbfounded. 
No matter how much time passes, the death of a parent is something that will always affect a person whether it was when they were young or much older; the pain of losing a loved one never truly goes away. 
Most of the time one will be forced to hang or stay on line for long as she battles her emotions to gain courage to reply to any question posed to her. 

The death, according to her, is an enormous blow not only to her immediate family but also the entire community at large.
She strongly believes her career as an actress is purely an outcome of her late father’s efforts and nurturing skills. 
“My dad… my dad had a big heart to everybody he encountered,” she keeps on uttering as the conversation progresses. 
But why so attached to dad rather than mom! 
Ashley ASHA Sulubu, a sister to Nema and who doubles up as the family spokesperson, says the love for their father was ‘awesome and strong’ to imagine. 
Concurring with her sister, she confirms sentiments that their dad had a ‘big heart’ to all and sundry. 
According to her Mzee Sulubu would rather go hungry but share whatever ‘little’ he had with anyone who would approach him for his assistance. 
“Being six sisters in a family of seven siblings, we gravitated towards our dad more than our mum,” Ashley says adding that their father had unexplainable soft spot for them. 

Neema (right) her sister (left) and their late Dad (centre) Image: (Courtesy)

The old man was popularly known for matters politics and land businesses. 
Through his tireless efforts to effect change when it comes to leadership for the former and for the latter running an ‘office-less’ land agency to render for over twenty years of services without failure. 
From land broking, Mzee Sulubu was able to fend for his family through comissions accrued from land transactions. 

SEVEN SIBLINGS
The deceased, who has left behind Mary Mapenzi, Johnson Kiponda, Lilian Sikukuu, Mercy Rehema, Ashley ASHA, Salome Nema and Esther Kaneno, will be laid to rest at Uyombo Matsangoni Ward in Kilifi County on Saturday, August 8, 2020. 
The family has, however, organized a funds-drive on Wednesday, August 6 so as to raise monies to offset some hospital bills and give their late father a befitting sendoff. 
Nema says she will forever remember her father for the overwhelming support she received especially towards her career as an actress. 
“Since I was in school my father kept encouraging me so much whenever i appeared before any group to present. This made me gain much courage and strength to soldier on, no matter how difficult it would turn to be,” she adds.
She scooped her first award for stage plays in 2007 titled the Adjudicators’ Award while at Ngala Memorial Secondary School, Watamu before lifting the Best Actress title in 2008 during the Kenya National Drama Festivals held in Nakuru.
All this time, Nema says her father stood by her side through her acting career while pursuing her secondary education.
In December 2018 the young medium height good looking lady became the Best Actress for Kenya Coast Music Awards.
She received several accolades from her father for the best performance that she says she has no words to describe. 

The late Mzee Sulubu taking a cup of tea recently. Image: (Courtesy)

Nema now acts the Aziza program running at Citizen TV where she is known as Binti which came after the conclusion of Moyo Series. 
She joined the TV acting in 2013 appearing under the Utanda Maisha magic East Africa where she was popularly known as NANA all courtesy of her late father Sulubu Mwagandi Ngala. 
Whether parents die from sicknesses or accidents, nothing can prepare a son or daughter to have to say goodbye to their mom or dad and it is something that irrevocably changes their lives.  

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