A meeting between Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and prominent artists over the weekend has done more harm than good to those who attended.
The meeting, held at Kindiki’s Karen residence drew sharp criticism from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who branded the artistes “traitors” to the Mt. Kenya community.
Gachagua’s call for a boycott and for fans to “unfollow” these musicians has led to significant fallout, with gospel singer Ngaruiya Junior losing subscribers, Mugithi star Samidoh facing public heckling, and unverified claims circulating about musician 90K Kamsoh donating earnings.
Gospel artiste Ngaruiya Junior has faced the most documented impact, with reports indicating a “drastic drop” in his YouTube subscribers.
Online reports claim the numbers drop from over half a million to a mere 32,900 subscribers.
Mugithi star Samidoh also faced public ire. During a performance in Thika, fans reportedly interrupted his set with chants of “WanTam,” a phrase tied to Gachagua’s supporters, forcing Samidoh to join in to appease the crowd.
Claims about musician 90K Kamsoh donating earnings from the Kindiki meeting to charity or community initiatives have surfaced but lack verification.
A video circulating shows supermarket trolleys being filled to the brim with assorted items were said to come from the musician as he allegedly tried to mitigate the fallout.
On the flip side of the narrative, Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come under fire over the same.
Dennis Itumbi, Head of Presidential Special Projects, issued a scathing rebuttal, accusing Gachagua of political intimidation and hypocrisy.
“That Gachagua would stand at a church altar and shamelessly urge Kenyans to unfollow musicians and instruct event venues to deny them work — simply because they supported reason, truth, and government programmes meant to uplift the industry — is not just offensive,” Itumbi said.
The Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) has also weighed in, warning that it would not tolerate any attempt to sabotage artists economically.