NAIROBI: A 101-year-old Kenyan man, Mzee Johanna Butuuk, who made headlines in 2023 after marrying for the first time at the age of 99, has died peacefully in his sleep.
According to family sources, the centenarian passed away a few days ago at his home in Soy, Uasin Gishu County, western Kenya.
Speaking to on Monday, October 6, his niece Sally Chepkoech confirmed the news, saying Mzee Johanna did not suffer from any illness before his death. He wasn’t sick at all; he simply passed away in his sleep, she said.
NAIROBI: Mzee Johanna’s marriage to 40-year-old Alice Jepkorir went viral two years ago after their colourful wedding ceremony, which was presided over by Catholic priests in the family’s compound.
The two had reportedly been together for about 20 years before deciding to make their union official.
At the time, family members revealed that it was the first marriage for the elderly man, who had remained a bachelor all his life.
He had never been married before, Sally said in 2023. When we, his nieces and nephews, all got married and moved away, he asked who would take care of him.
That’s when we decided to find a wife for him so that he would have companionship.
Alice, his wife, had also spoke fondly of her husband, saying she preferred him to younger men.
love him because he’s calm and unproblematic, she said. Young men these days get drunk and beat their wives.
Even the man who got me pregnant before never helped me. But Mzee helps me take care of my children and pays their school fees.
Their wedding, held on January 14, 2023, attracted attention across Kenya and beyond, with many praising the couple for proving that love has no age limit.
Mzee Johanna is remembered by relatives and neighbours as a humble, cheerful man who lived a long and fulfilling life.
