Kisumu's rhumba enthusiasts were left disappointed on Saturday night after Congolese maestro Koffi Olomide failed to perform as expected during the much-hyped Msuqa Festival held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium.
Despite fans paying up to Sh15,000 for tickets, the celebrated artiste appeared on stage without his Quater Latin Band and danced briefly to pre-recorded tracks much to the chagrin of his fans.
Zachary Mbima, a staunch lover of the Effrakata hit song singer, said he arrived at the venue at 8pm but had to wait until 3am when the musician appeared on stage for less than 20 minutes.
“I can’t believe that I paid Sh15,000 just to watch Koffi shout ‘Yaka! Yaka makisa! Yaka Mopao!’ into the microphone for 10 minutes before leaving. I highly regret wasting my hard-earned money. I could have spent that time with my family,” said an irate Mr Mbima.
Evance Otieno, another ardent fan, expressed his disappointment and blamed the event organisers for the underwhelming experience.
“This show was much hyped, but it turned out to be an embarrassment. I expected a live performance with his band, but instead, he joined TikTok Live for a few minutes and then left. It was a total letdown,” he said.
The musician’s fans had thronged the 32,000-capacity Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium anticipating an explosive live performance by Le Grande Mopao and his band.
There were heightened moments when angry fans stormed the stage, disrupting the event, to demand for the Congolese singer.
At one point, Seth Kanga, alias Adui Nyang’, the Market Milimani Ward Representative, grabbed the microphone from Ohangla musician, Prince Indah, and chanted in vernacular, “Koffi okwalowa!” (Koffi has robbed us) before security personnel escorted him off the stage.
Speaking to Nation.Africa later, Jules Nsana, the event promoter from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) explained that logistical challenges at Kinshasa Airport caused Koffi Olomide's Quarter Latin Band members to change their travel plans.
“They were forced to board a Ugandan Airlines flight to Entebbe from DRC after missing direct connections to Nairobi. From Entebbe, we opted to ferry the band members by road to Kisumu to save on time,” explained Mr Nsana.
Whereas Mr Olomide was booked on a Kenya Airways flight and arrived on schedule, his band members faced clearance challenges at the Busia border, further delaying their arrival.
“They finally managed to cross the border at 5am on Sunday morning and arrived in Kisumu at 10am,’’ said Mr Nsana.
Nsana, who declined to disclose the exact amount the singer and his band were paid, however, confirmed that the artist pocketed a tidy sum.
When asked why the crew did not start the journey earlier, Nsana blamed what he termed as unpredictable flight schedules, for the delay.
“Sometimes you get excellent service but other times, the opposite happens,” he said.
“We were kept in the dark about the logistical issues. If we had been informed earlier, alternative arrangements could have been made. The county only assisted with promotions, but the event was managed by Msuqa Festival and TV47,” he explained.
He added that efforts were underway to organise a make-up show, possibly free of charge, to compensate the fans.
This incident comes just days after Tanzanian’s Star Diamond Platnumz failed to perform at the Furaha City Festival in Nairobi, despite being paid Sh19.3 million.
The bongo artiste refused to refund the amount, citing unresolved disputes with the organisers.
On December 7, Jamaican reggae artiste Etana was forced to cancel her show in Nairobi after it overlapped with Platnumz’s performance.
In a statement, Etana alleged that someone was determined to ensure that her show was sabotaged.
Etana stated that she was informed the two events could not take place at the same time, as both were happening at same locations.
“I am not happy about the sabotage and let me be clear I am not showing up at Platinumz show!! It’s all good!” she said.
Besides Platnumz, the event featured a diverse lineup of renowned Kenyan and Tanzanian artists, including Zuchu, Khaligraph Jones, Rayvanny, Ssaru, Mejja, Femi One, and Willy Paul.
