A few days ago, harrowing photos an injured Mombasa-based comedian Idris Salim, popularly known as Mama Fatma emerged online. Idris could be seen on a hospital bed half naked with blood on the floor.
His only comment at the time was a message to God to help him through the difficult time, leaving many of his fans to speculate as to what actually happened to him.
Idris has now narrated the horrific events that landed him in hospital.
“I was attacked by a group of people on Thursday. I was coming home from the mosque, it was 5am. They just came from nowhere and started hitting me,” he recounted.
According to Idris, his assailants appeared to have one motive in mind, to target their blows on his private parts.
“By the time they were done I was bleeding, I was helped by neighbours who took me to the hospital. I have no idea why I was attacked me but I suspect it has something to do with my on-stage character Mama Fatma,” Idris said.
“A lot of things have been said but I want to assure my fans that I am now recovering in hospital and I am not dead as some blogs are claiming,” he said.
Since launching his career in the creative arts by playing the character of Mama Fatma, there has always been a debate about his sexual identification.
He joined the Mombasa Academy of Arts to study acting and immediately after, auditioned at the Little Theatre Club and Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi.
He was successful and featured in several plays. But his big break came when he created the character of Mama Fatma, a Swahili woman.
“I decided on Mama Fatma because women are interesting. She is the typical Swahili woman who is nosy, and straightforward when it comes to giving advice,” he said.
But coming from a strong Muslim background it seems his Mama Fatma has rubbed a few people the wrong way. He has received harsh comments from a section of netizens.
But in a past interview with the Nation Idris said he has never regretted his decision to be a content creator.
