Philip Mwakio And Charles Otieno
7 April 2006
Nairobi — The Grammy Award winning Keys jetted into Mombasa on Wednesday evening and was driven to the Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel, North Coast where she spent her first day in the Coastal city.
On Thursday, Keys, who is global ambassador and co-founder of the Keep A Child Alive foundation, an organisation that was established to provide life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and families with HIV/Aids toured the Coast Provincial General Hospital.
Flanked by a film crew, bodyguards and Kenyan Tourist Police Unit officers, Keys arrived at the hospital at 11am and was met by hospital staff led by the hospital administrator, Dr Khadija Shikelly and Coast Provincial Medical officer of Health, Dr Anderson Kahindi.
Her visit to the hospital did not fail to attract the attention of her local fans who fought for an opportunity to see her.
Ms Daisy Oyoo, a Mombasa resident had heard of Keys' arrival and rushed to see her.
"Am delighted I saw her and took her picture on my digital camera, which I will treasure," she said.
The Rythm and Blues (R&B) and hip hop artist, with nine Grammy awards to her credit, smiled as she was ushered into the administrator's office, where she signed a visitors' book.
She was later taken round the referral hospital and visited the paediatric clinic for HIV/Aids children patients.
According to Dr Kahindi, Keys, through her organisation, Keep A Child Alive has been supporting the clinic in acquiring ARVs. He said that the initiative started two years ago and has been progressing on well.
Currently the clinic supports over 400 children who were born to HIV positive mothers. The media was however barred from accompanying Keys to the clinic.
On Friday, she and her entourage are expected to visit the Bomu Clinic in Mombasa mainland west. The singer's album, 'The Diary of Alicia Keys', scooped five Grammy awards from eight nominations, including the prestigious Album of the Year.
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