Mejja narrates painful journey with throat condition affecting his voice

Kenyan rapper Major Nameye Khadija 'Mejja' has revealed that he is suffering from a throat condition that has affected his voice and consequently, his ability to record music.

Narrating that he is undergoing treatment in the care of doctors at Avenue Hospital, Mejja disclosed that the condition began late last year as a sore throat that wouldn't go away.

"Najua watu wanashangaa mbona nimenyamaza because by now huwa nimerelease ngoma. Nikona issue na throat yangu," he narrated in an interview with Mseto East Africa.

The 'Kanairo Dating' hitmaker recounted that he experienced the first symptoms during his August 2022 Australia tour and by the time he got back to Nairobi he was experiencing pain in his throat and bouts of voice loss.

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He opted to buy over-the-counter medication from a local chemist who pointed out that he may have gotten a sore throat from a poorly maintained AC fan. The medication worked for a while but the symptoms returned.

"Vile tuliingia hii mwaka bado nilipuuza hiyo uchungu but sasa nikaanza kuona damu kwa kikohozi ndio nikaenda hospitali, na hapo ndio nilijua hata kuna daktari anaitwa ENT.

"[At the beginning of the year I started noticing that I was constantly feeling irritation in my throat and I later noticed blood in my sputum so I finally went to see a specialist Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) doctor]," Mejja narrated.

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The lyrical storyteller further narrated that the condition has adversely affected his voice making it hard for him to hit high notes.

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Mejja was speaking while in Nanyuki where he has been making efforts to record music with his producer.

"I was only able to perform on stage recently because I had not used my voice in a long time and even then, there are songs that I can no longer perform. Like I can do 'Tabia Za Wakenya Kanairo' because it's at a low pitch but now I cannot hit the notes on 'Bablas' or even 'Siku Hizi Ni KuBad', my voice cracks," he stated.

Asked about the prognosis given by his doctors, Mejja noted that they are still to conclude whether he will get his voice back but he remains hopeful that the condition will clear.

"Naomba tu nikue poa, zile ngoma nilikuwa nataka kutoa ni high-pitched cause mimi ni msee wa mastory... Mniombee kwa sababu inaniaffect pia psychologically... siwezi taka kuacha muziki," he appealed.

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He noted that one of the things his doctors pointed out is that his poor water intake contributed to the throat condition and he is now working on taking more water daily.