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Shaffie Weru: I don’t want to leave any money behind when I die

Celebrated radio presenter and emcee Shaffie Weru has revealed that he is a spendthrift. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Shaffie says he hustles hard to enjoy life.
  • When I have money I spend it, because you never know what to expect tomorrow.
  • I don’t want to be that guy that left money stashed in the mattress or in the bank

Shaffie Weru: I don’t want to leave any money behind when I die

Celebrated radio presenter and emcee Shaffie Weru has revealed that he is a spendthrift. Shaffie is among the best-paid radio presenters in the country, as well as being among the emcees who charge hefty fees. He said that he hustles hard to enjoy life. “Sometimes I go broke but when I have money I spend it, because you never know what to expect tomorrow. I don’t want to be that guy that left money stashed in the mattress or in the bank,” he was quoted saying. True to his word, Shaffie — who is a Hennessy brand Ambassador — is known to lead a flamboyant lifestyle. In January, he ditched his Land Rover Discovery and bought himself a Range Rover Vogue, estimated to be in the region of Sh20 million.

In February, he showed up to Adelle Anyango’s birthday, his co-presenter at Kiss 100, with gifts worth Sh140,000. Among his other expensive items are wrist watches. He once claimed he had one watch that cost him Sh850,000, which was stolen when thugs broke into his Lavington home last August. It is said they stole expensive household items.

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Still waiting to make money

Gospel musician Kevin Bahati revealed that he is yet to get any returns from his label’s second signing, David Wonder.

Bahati claims that he has invested over Sh1 million on the young artiste, but he is yet to see any form of profits. David Wonder made his debut in the gospel industry with two hit songs last year “Mtindo” and “Ndogo Ndogo”.

The “Mama” hit maker made the revelation during the launching of Congolese singer Rebecca Soki at a colourful event held at KICC on Tuesday, his third signee to his recording label EMB (Eastlands Most Beloved) . “I would be lying if I said that I am making money from my label signings right now. For example, I have been working with David Wonder, who is a hard worker, for over a year now and in that same period I have invested upwards of a million shillings into his music. He has got three hit songs out there already but I am yet to get a dime. However, I remain optimistic and focused, knowing in the long run I will be smiling, and that is why I am still signing talented artistes as I open avenues for them as well,” Bahati narrated. With the acquisition of Rebecca who debuted on EMB with her single “Baraka Zangu”, Bahati also has Mr Seed to round up the three acts signed to him.

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Songa App’s big payday for local artistes

Next month, Safaricom is set to launch a jackpot prize money programme that will see Kenyan artistes battle it out to see whose content will attract the most consumers on the company’s Songa App.

The revelation was made by Safaricom director of consumer business, Sylvia Mulinge, who was appointed the managing director of Tanzania’s Vodacom on Monday last week.

Speaking during an entertainment event that was graced by top local musicians, Mulinge disclosed that the company is finalising the details of the programme before making an official announcement. “Our aim is to support local talent and that has always been the case over the years. That is why, come May this year, we will launch a jackpot of some sort, that will be awarded to the artiste whose content will attract the most consumers on our Songa App, in terms of music downloads,” Mulinge said. According to Mulinge, the jackpot seeks to motivate Kenyan artistes to work even harder and create a conducive avenue for competition. Once officially launched, it will be a norm, just as it has been with Skiza.

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Too much office politics drove me out of radio, says Owago

Comedian Owago Onyiro has opened up about why he ditched his radio job at KBC after only a year on the airwaves. Owago, who was ecstatic when he got the job, having taken to his social media accounts in April 2016 to break the news, left the job a few months ago. Speaking to Showbuzz, the comedian who rose to fame through Churchill Show, revealed that he couldn’t cope with the pressure at the radio station.

Alongside Bonny Musambi and Cynthia Anyango, they hosted a morning show dubbed “Zinga la Asubuhi” from Monday to Friday. “I left the job a long time ago because of too much office politics that was going on there. You are in the media, I am sure you understand what kind of politics I’m talking about,” Owago told Showbuzz. This revelation comes at a time when the comedian recently had to deny rumours that he is broke and had been kicked out of his four-bedroom rental house in South C, Nairobi, over rent arrears.

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Kiba racing against time to have house ready for wedding

Bongo flava star Alikiba is racing against time to complete the building of his posh mansion before the dates set for his two weddings this month. From sources close to the artiste, Showbuzz has learnt that the crooner is currently in China looking to buy luxurious furnishings to complete the house before the D-Days. Just like his counterpart AY, who held two weddings in Rwanda and Tanzania early this year, 31-year-old Alikiba is planning to do the same. He is set to marry his long-time Kenyan girlfriend, Amina Rikesh, in Mombasa and again in Dar es Salaam a week later. “The dates are set. Ali will have two weddings. The first one will be this week, either on April 19 or 20, and will be held in Mombasa. He will come with his family in tow. A week thereafter, the second one will take place on April 29 in Dar es Salaam,” the source disclosed.

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Khloe and Tristan to work it out as parents

TV personality and model Khloe Kardashian allowed her Canadian NBA basketball-player baby-daddy Tristan Thompson to be with her in the delivery room, despite the cheating scandal surrounding him. Sources close to the Kardashian family told TMZ the reality TV star is still devastated with the news. However, she would not deny Tristan the life experience of welcoming their child into the world. According to the outlet, Khloe was willing to put her feelings aside and allow the NBA star to take part in the bonding experience that occurs in the delivery room, because she understands the importance of the birth in the lives of everyone involved. The news of Tristan’s cheating broke early last week when TMZ posted a video seemingly showed the 27-year-old baller cheating on his girlfriend with two women in a nightclub. He is seen kissing one while the other gropes him. Khloe was reportedly about three months into her pregnancy then as the footage is said to have been taken back in October 2017. Khloe gave birth to a baby girl early Thursday morning. Kourtney, Kim, Kris, Khloe’s BFF Malika and Tristan were by her side.

 

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Khali: Abbas Kubaff honoured my call, and didn’t charge

Rapper Khaligraph Jones has paid homage to legendary rapper Abbas Kubaff because he was the only artiste who believed in him when he was starting out on his music career.

Khaligraph, who is currently among the most sought after artistes by corporates and event organisers in the country, says he holds utmost respect for Abbas, who has been lying low for a couple of years now as far as his music is concerned. Despite his silence, he must be proud to hear what Khaligraph thinks of him. “I have a lot of respect for Abbas and even when you get to my studio, the only picture you will find hanging on the wall is his. When I was a nobody, I called him when he was popping with ‘Toklezea’ to feature in my collabo, and on the same day he came for a studio session and we recorded two songs, and he never asked for money.”

Khaligraph had never met Abbas before then, in 2011, and was so shocked when he showed up for the session because he never expected it. Abbas is among the hip-hop pioneers in Kenya.