Global entertainers' final choice

Alice and Ellen Kessler, the iconic German twin entertainers whose careers spanned over six decades, died by assisted suicide at their home in Grünwald, Munich, on Monday, 17 November 2025, at the age of 89. The German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS), an assisted dying association, confirmed it facilitated their deaths, stating the sisters' decision was well-considered and long-standing. In a letter to the DGHS just two days before their death, the twins expressed their gratitude, writing, "We are glad that the DGHS exists and that we can end our lives with dignity." Munich police ruled the deaths a "joint suicide" with no third-party involvement.

A life of inseparable unity

Born on 20 August 1936, in Saxony, Germany, the Kessler twins began ballet training at age six. In 1952, at 16, their family fled from East to West Germany, where their international career took off. They became famous performers at the Lido cabaret in Paris in 1955 and went on to achieve global stardom in the 1960s, performing alongside legends like Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and Harry Belafonte. They were particularly beloved in Italy, where they became television icons. Inseparable in life, the twins had publicly expressed their wish to die together, telling an Italian newspaper in 2024 that the thought of one outliving the other was unbearable. They never married and had arranged to be buried in the same urn alongside their mother and dog.

The German legal context

Assisted suicide is a legally complex and sensitive issue in Germany, shaped by the history of the Nazi era. While active euthanasia is illegal, a landmark ruling by Germany's Federal Constitutional Court on 26 February 2020, overturned a 2015 ban on professionally assisted suicide services. The court affirmed a constitutional right to a self-determined death, which includes the freedom to take one's own life and use voluntary assistance from third parties. This legal framework allows organisations like the DGHS to operate, provided the person seeking assistance is acting freely and responsibly, without coercion or psychiatric crisis. The Kessler twins had been members of the DGHS for over a year and underwent preparatory discussions with a doctor and a lawyer. Their public farewell has intensified the ongoing debate in Germany about the need for clearer legal regulations for assisted dying.

Implications for Kenya and East Africa

The Kesslers' story brings into sharp focus the starkly different legal and cultural landscape surrounding end-of-life choices in Kenya. The Constitution of Kenya 2010, in Article 26, guarantees the right to life, and the Penal Code classifies any act of intentionally ending a life as murder or manslaughter. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are illegal. There have been no significant legislative attempts to change these laws, which are heavily influenced by cultural and religious beliefs.

This legal rigidity leaves few options for Kenyans with terminal or debilitating illnesses. The conversation is often dominated by high-profile cases of individuals seeking euthanasia abroad, highlighting the financial and emotional burden on families. The case of Nairobi resident Joe Mudukiza, who publicly announced plans to seek an assisted death in Belgium before changing his mind after public support, recently ignited a national conversation on the topic.

The debate in Kenya is intrinsically linked to the state of palliative care. According to the Ministry of Health's Kenya Palliative Care Policy 2021-2030, an estimated 800,000 Kenyans need palliative care annually, but only a small fraction, around 14,552, can access it. This significant gap in care, which focuses on relieving suffering from serious illnesses, means many patients endure immense pain without adequate support. While Kenya has made strides by integrating palliative care into national health policies, challenges in funding, training, and public awareness persist, particularly in rural areas. The situation is similar across East Africa, where access to palliative services and essential pain relief medication like morphine remains severely limited. The Kessler twins' choice, made in a country with established legal pathways for assisted dying, serves as a powerful catalyst for examining Kenya's own approach to end-of-life care, patient autonomy, and the critical need for robust and accessible palliative support systems.