South C road to be renamed ‘E-Sir’ in honor of the late music icon

Nairobi Governor Johnson Arthur Sakaja has announced plans to rename a road in South C in honor of the late iconic artist, E-Sir. The singer is credited to have

The announcement was made during the Jamhuri Day celebrations, with Sakaja highlighting the initiative as a tribute to artists who have significantly contributed to Kenya’s cultural growth.

“We will honor our artists by renaming some of the roads. I have spoken with honorable MP Jalang’o, and our county director has addressed the matter.
One of the roads in South C an estate where E-Sir grew up and where he started his musical journey will be named after the great hero E-Sir, whose brother, Habib, performed here today,” Sakaja stated in his speech.

This move follows a 2022 online petition spearheaded by Nameless, a close friend of E-Sir, calling for a road in South C to bear the late artist’s name.

The petition, which garnered over 5,000 signatures, emphasized E-Sir’s role as a trailblazer in the Kenyan music scene.

It described him as “a great talent, friend, and pioneer in his genre” and advocated for the gesture as a way to celebrate artistic achievement and preserve his memory.

E-Sir, born Issah Mmari, tragically passed away in a road accident on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway 21 years ago at the age of 21.

Despite his untimely death, his music remains influential and is still celebrated across East Africa as a cornerstone of Kenyan hip-hop.

Nameless has time and again intimated that E-Sir saved his life as they were in the same car and the deceased swapped seats with him.

“We performed the night before, and we were all rested. We departed from Nakuru at around 11 am and got distracted by a view of Lake Elementaita for a quick second. That was the last conversation we had. The car had started to veer off the road, and when the driver tried to get back on the road, he lost control, and we rolled a couple of times. E-Sir did not have his safety belt on at the time,” said Nameless while eulogizing him.

He added, “On this day, a dark cloud covered our skies, we lost one of Kenya’s most gifted musicians. His lyrical delivery and command of the Swahili flow were unmatched. Long after his death, his music and legacy live on. We miss you, bro; till we meet again.”