Sky Kanyari asks Pastor Kanyari very troubling question that left him grappling

Pastor Victor Kanyari has stirred widespread reactions after dedicating an entire church service to honouring his late ex-wife, gospel singer Betty Bayo.

The Salvation Ministries Healing co-founder is still coming to terms with her passing. Bayo, the mother of his two children, died on 10 November following a long battle with leukaemia. She was laid to rest on 20 November in an emotional farewell.

A Grieving Father Still in Pain

During the Sunday service held on the day she died, Kanyari spoke openly about the depth of his sorrow. He described Bayo as someone he cared for deeply and said he had begun to heal—until a photograph of her appeared on the screen.

“I felt completely shattered,” he told congregants. “My children have lost their mother… she is the one who named them.”

He reflected on their years of co-parenting, recalling how he regularly supported the children’s travel abroad.

“I used to send them money for return tickets. I even paid KSh 1 million for their first-class trip to the US,” he shared.

Kanyari also recounted a tender moment with his daughter Sky, who had recently ordered clothes and asked him to pay for them. Though some outfits were shorter than he liked, he said he held back from correcting her, mindful of her recent loss.

He contrasted this with his own tough upbringing. “My children are different—we have to give them what they need,” he added.

Conversations About the Future

Kanyari described a difficult conversation with Sky, who asked him what plans he had for her and her brother now that their mother was gone.

The question, he said, caught him off guard. “I told her I want them to study hard and eventually move to the US,” he recounted, noting that she walked away soon after, as she was with her stepfather at the time.

On Remarrying and Expanding His Family

Though he has remained single since separating from Bayo, Kanyari suggested he may be open to having more children. He joked to his secretary that he hoped to expand his family because “children are special” and remain emotionally connected to their parents even through challenges.

Lightening the mood, he hinted he might choose a “kienyeji” partner—someone simple, traditional, and down-to-earth.

Custody Questions After Betty’s Passing

Bayo’s death rekindled discussion about the future care of her children, Sky and Danivictor.

Much of the public debate centred on the role of her partner, Hiram “Tash” Gitau, with whom she lived in Edenville Estate. The children had formed a close bond with him, and Bayo had previously shared that Danivictor helped bring them together. Sky once famously said she had “two dads.”

Another potential guardian mentioned was Betty’s mother, who lives in the United States.

Amid these discussions, Kanyari firmly stated that he wanted his children to live with him. He even revealed plans to move them into a KSh 90 million home in Runda.