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I lost my father after my mother died- Baha opens up

Baha confesses on how he was forced to take care of his family after losing both parents at tender teenagehood

His fame, though mainly self-made, is greatly attributed to his mother, the late actress Beth Nyambura Mbaya who was also known as Wanade on Tv Show, Mother-in-law.

Tyler Kamau Mbaya popularly known as Baha became a household name for gracing the screens as a child.  He just revealed the death of his rarely spoken of father.

At the age of 17, Baha can be comfortably identified as one of the most successful actors in the Kenyan entertainment industry. But while his success in the entertainment industry is quite evident, he has confessed to a life of struggle, sacrifices and having to grow up earlier than most people his age.

Speaking to People Daily, Baha reveals how his father died just 2 years after his mother and he had to take up parental responsibilities at a tender age. Luckily, both he and his older brother, Mungai Mbaya, were earning from acting and could take care of themselves and their aging grandmother who is now their guardian.

After Beth succumbed to cancer, Baha moved school from the reputable but expensive Nairobi School to Thika’s Chania Boys High School where his brother was so that they could comfort each other during the trying times.

“When mum passed on, I was a Form One student at Nairobi School. I immediately transferred to Chania Boys High School where my brother was for moral support, so that we could grieve and overcome our mum’s death together. However, in my fourth year, I joined Ufanisi Senior School where I sat for my KSCE.”

While his most of his family is in the acting business, Baha’s father has gone unnoticed for the years that his wife and children were in the media.

And with good reason.

Baha revealed that his father had been missing in action up till 2011 when he was deported from the US in his fifties. He could not find work in Kenya so Baha and his brother had to take up the financial burden of the family.

A focused young man with a straight head, Baha cleared high school last year scoring an impressive B+ in his KCSE at just 16 years old.

He said, “ I finished high school aged 16 last year. This is because I demanded to be taken to school when my brother who is two years older than me started schooling. I did not want to be let alone.  I was able to act and at the same time continue with my education because I was always allowed to have one weekend off to attend the shoots.”

He currently wants to pursue journalism and cinematography.

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