Wilson Abubakar Radido grew up in Mathare with a father who was a carpenter, a mother who was a hairdresser, and very little else. His father died in 2011 when Wilson was 17. He dropped out of school the same year, took Juakali jobs to support his mother, then sat for his KCSE through home study in 2013.
By then he was already famous. Kenya knew him as Willy Paul.
The story of how a boy from Mathare became one of East Africa’s most controversial, most reinvented, and most bankable musicians is one of the more interesting ones in the industry. It just depends which chapter you start from.
Quick Facts
| Real Name | Wilson Abubakar Radido |
| Other Names | Willy Pozze |
| Date of Birth | September 1, 1993 |
| Age | 32 (as of 2026) |
| Born | Mathare, Nairobi |
| Tribe | Mixed (father: Ugandan descent; mother: Tanzanian immigrant) |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter, label CEO |
| Label | Saldido International Entertainment |
| Children | King Damian Radido Opondo (son); Sonya Wilsovia (daughter, born Dec 2020) |
| Status | Single (as of 2026) |
Early Life
Willy Paul was born on September 1, 1993, in the Mathare slums of Nairobi. His father, Paul Opondo Radido, was a carpenter of Ugandan descent. His mother, Salome, was a hairdresser who had immigrated from Tanzania. He is the last born of four siblings. In terms of tribe, Willy Paul does not belong to any single Kenyan community. He is of mixed heritage, with Ugandan roots on his father’s side and Tanzanian on his mother’s.
He has described growing up poor in ways that never feel performed. His family sometimes ate twice a week. When his father died in May 2011, he had to crowdfund money for the coffin and still couldn’t afford a decent one. He has spoken about closing a coffin with holes. That detail surfaces in interviews periodically because it never fully left him.
He attended Brainhouse School in Mathare for secondary education but dropped out in Form 3 in 2011 due to financial constraints. He took Juakali jobs to support his mother, then returned to sit his KCSE exams in 2013 through self-study and private tutors. When the results came out, he shared them publicly.
Before any of this became public, he had discovered music. He was a dancer in church from a young age. His talent surfaced in class three. He was in the drama club in high school. Music was always the thread running through everything else.
Career and Breakthrough
His discovery came through a coincidence. J. Blessing spotted him after he walked from Mathare to Umoja to attend an Eko Dydda concert. That walk led to a connection with gospel singer Gloria Muliro, and in 2010 they co-wrote and released “Sitolia”, a song built directly from his own life story. It became his first major hit.
The relationship with Muliro later soured over copyright disputes. She reportedly held exclusive rights to Sitolia and he felt he wasn’t earning fairly from it. They eventually settled and recorded “Kitanzi” together, which became another hit. The pattern of collaboration, conflict, and resolution would repeat throughout his career.
In 2013 he won Male Artist of the Year at the Groove Awards alongside mentor Gloria Muliro, who took Female Artist of the Year. His debut album launched at KICC in December 2013. In 2014 he toured the US, performing in churches across 12 states.
He founded Saldido International Entertainment as his label and production home, giving him control over his music and the ability to sign other artists.
In 2018 he left gospel entirely and moved to secular music. The pivot was controversial, deliberate, and commercially successful. He came out with “Jigi Jigi,” “Lewa,” and a series of collaborations that charted across East Africa. His reach extended to Nandy (Tanzania), Rayvanny (Tanzania), Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Cecil and Alaine (Jamaica), and Khaligraph Jones on “Bora Uhai.”
His most recent 2026 releases include “Mapenzi Yananiua” (April 4, 2026), “Mkono Wako,” “Party This Year,” and “Hii Design”. All four point to an artist still releasing consistently and still finding an audience.
Willy Paul’s Net Worth (KES Estimate)
His net worth is estimated at between KES 13 million and KES 130 million. It is a wide range that reflects how difficult it is to pin down income for an independent artist with multiple revenue streams. The money comes from:
- Music and streaming: a decade-plus catalogue with millions of streams across East Africa
- Saldido International: label and production revenue
- Live performances: one of Kenya’s most consistently booked artists for events and concerts
- Brand endorsements: multiple corporate deals across different phases of his career
- YouTube: active channel with significant viewership
Willy Paul’s Relationships and Children
Willy Paul is not married and has no wife as of 2026. He has been deliberately private about his romantic life. He has two children from two different mothers, both kept largely out of the public eye.
His son, King Damian Radido Opondo, is his firstborn. His daughter, Sonya Wilsovia, was born in December 2020. He publicly celebrated King Damian’s birthday with a post about fatherhood that became one of his warmest public moments.
The most publicised relationship in his life is one he has consistently denied. He and Jovial were linked romantically during their professional partnership at Saldido, and the speculation became one of the most persistent rumours in Kenyan music. Neither confirmed it. The professional relationship eventually ended, adding another layer to the speculation.
He was also linked to Jamaican artist Alaine after a viral video showed them in wedding outfits. It was a scene for their song “I Do,” not an actual wedding, but Kenya didn’t immediately get that memo.
Drama and Controversies
The Bahati Beef: Gospel Kenya’s most memorable industry feud. Bahati accused Willy Paul of plagiarising his music, which sparked a sustained social media back-and-forth that divided fans of both artists. They were later prayed over together at the Groove Awards and declared peace, only for the tension to resurface periodically in subsequent years.
The Miss P Allegations: Singer Miss P accused Willy Paul of sexual harassment, alleging he made advances toward her at the start of their professional relationship and that subsequent interactions were controlling and condescending. He denied everything. The accusations added to a pattern of similar allegations from women in his circle.
The Diana Marua Allegations: Diana Marua accused Willy Paul of attempting to sexually assault her, sharing an emotional video where she narrated the alleged incident and said she had filed a case in court. Willy Paul called the allegations “defamatory” and denied them categorically. The matter became one of the most serious and unresolved controversies of his career.
The Gloria Muliro Copyright Dispute: The falling out with his mentor over rights to “Sitolia” set a template that would recur in his career. He has been in multiple ownership and credit disputes with collaborators. His solution has been to build his own infrastructure through Saldido, so he controls his masters.
The Gospel vs Secular Debate: When he left gospel in 2018, sections of the Christian community in Kenya took it personally. Some called it a betrayal. Others called it a business decision. He has never fully apologized for the switch, framing it as artistic growth.
The Gospel Comeback Question
In February 2026, Willy Paul posted a cryptic message on social media saying “I feel lost” and hinting at a possible return to gospel music. The post sparked immediate debate. Was it genuine spiritual reckoning, a PR move, or both?
He followed it in April 2026 with the release of “Mapenzi Yananiua”, a secular love song about heartbreak. So the comeback, if it was coming, hasn’t arrived yet.
The question of whether Willy Paul returns to gospel is less a spiritual question and more a commercial one. His secular pivot made him more money and gave him continental reach. The gospel community has largely moved on. What exactly he would be returning to is worth examining.
Social Media Following
| Platform | Following |
|---|---|
| Instagram (@willy.paul.msafi) | 2M+ |
| YouTube | Active channel, millions of views |
| Facebook (Willy Paul msafi) | Large, active following |
Willy Paul Latest News (Mid-2026)
The first half of 2026 has been active musically. Willy Paul’s latest song is “Mapenzi Yananiua“, released April 4, 2026, a slow and aching track about a love that is killing him. Three more singles followed: Mkono Wako, Party This Year, and Hii Design. The gospel comeback question is still open. His personal life remains deliberately private.
At 32, Willy Paul is at an interesting inflection point. He built his name in gospel, rebuilt it in secular music, and is now somewhere between the two. His audience spans those worlds. His output keeps coming. Whatever the next chapter is, he has enough catalogue and enough controversy behind him that Kenya will be watching.
→ Khaligraph Jones — Full Biography
0 Comments