Benga queen and ‘Dunia Mbaya’ hit maker Lillian Auma Aoko popularly known as Princess Jully passed on, on October 12, 2024, while undergoing treatment at the Migori County Referral Hospital.
According to the son, she had suffered multiple organ failures, after she had spent about two months undergoing treatment at the facility.
Princess Jully rose to fame when she sang ‘Dunia Mbaya’, a song inspired by how she saw her friends die, owing to the lifestyle they lived.
The song was also used to run a campaign against HIV/AIDS across the country.
While she previously was a background vocalist in her late husband, Julius Okumu’s band (Jolly Boys) and after he died in 1997, she took over the band and propelled it to national fame, while following the footsteps of Congolese singer Mbilia Bel.