Kenyan rapper Toxic Lyrikali has stirred heated debate online after revealing he was coerced into chanting “tutam” a slang term for “two term” in reference to President William Ruto’s tenure, during a performance at State House.
The fast-rising artiste, who has seen a surge in his fanbase thanks to his viral hits, was among entertainers invited to perform at a presidential empowerment event. But soon after the gig, a storm brewed on social media, with many fans accusing him of aligning himself with politics.
In a cryptic post on his socials, Toxic defended himself, hinting at fear for his safety:
“Ground ni ile ile. Niseme one tam akiwa apo nipotezwe,” he wrote, loosely translating to, “The ground is still the same. Should I say one term while he’s right there and risk disappearing?”
The event, held yesterday, saw President Ruto distribute over 1,100 empowerment packages including motorbikes, car wash machines, and public address systems to Nairobi youth groups. “Today’s empowerment… confirms our commitment to uplifting those living at the margins of our society,” Ruto stated.
A video from the event shows Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie ushering Toxic to the front of the stage before Ruto. Kiarie is seen prompting the rapper to declare that the president would serve two terms. Toxic appeared to ignore the request and continued performing, but Kiarie called him back and instructed him to say “tutam.” The rapper obliged and then greeted the president.
While Toxic’s admission has sparked sympathy from some, others remain critical with fans going to the extent of unsubscribing from his socials and YouTube. Fellow musician Charisma took to social media to question why artists accept such invitations in the first place:
“Why do people accept these invitations? He says he feared for his life, but why go there at all? They cannot see the agenda? People don’t get what going there means? We really shoot ourselves in the foot.”