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Friday, March 29, 2024

Memorial held for father of Eurovision winner

Memorial services were held on Sunday for Jeff Mwangi Kwirikia, father of singer Stella Mwangi, after he was killed by a hit-and-run driver at Dal in Akershus last week. The 54-year-old native of Kenya was hailed for integrating his children into Norwegian life without letting them forget where they came from.

The memorial was organized by The Kenyan Association in Norway and Stella Mwangi was among the mourners. She grew up in Norway and launched a singing career that led to her winning last year’s Norwegian version of the Eurovision Song Contest, called Melodi Grand Prix. She went on to represent Norway at the Eurovision finals.

Mwangi’s record company, EMI, released a statement saying that her father had been one of her biggest supporters all her life and not least during the past year when she sprang to national fame in Norway.

Police said her father died momentarily after being hit by a car last Tuesday whose driver then sped off. A 39-year-old man later turned himself in and led police to the car involved in the accident, a black Citroën Berlingo. He’s been charged with manslaughter and faces up to six years in prison.

Funeral services will be held for Mwangi’s father at the Ullensaker Church on Friday, with his body to be sent back to Kenya for burial.

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