Gospel singer Kris Erroh has taken six members of the secular rap collective Wakadinali to court, accusing them of exploiting his popular hook from the song Mmh Baba in their hit track Kum Baba.
Erroh, born Christopher Njogu, claims his intellectual property rights were violated following the release of Kum Baba. He argued that the group unlawfully used a lyrical hook from his 2011 gospel track.
In the lawsuit, Njogu listed Churchill Mandela (Mkadinali), Salim Ali Kipkemboi (Sewersydaa), David Munga (Domani Munga), Andrew Karuku (Abbas Kubaf), Emmanuel King (Masterpiece King), Nelson Koranje (Ares66) and Wakuu Music as respondents.
“The respondents have, without authorisation reproduced, publicised, and/or distributed infringed work dubbed ‘kum baba’ from the copyrighted work. The defendants herein have infringed and continued to infringe upon the plaintiff’s right to property by reproduction, distribution, and public performance of the lyrical hook present in the original work,” Erroh’s lawyer Getrude Kibare argued.
Kibare said Wakadinali have been nominated at the AFRIMA Awards in Lagos, Nigeria, under the Best African Act, Raga, and Dancehall category.
She added that the group continues to gain both moral and financial benefits from the hit song, allegedly without her client’s approval.
Filed before Justice Wayua Mongare, the case outlines that Kum Baba was released on June 27, 2025.
According to Kibare, a section of the song, specifically one minute and 35 seconds, contains the phrase “Mmh Baba,” lifted from Erroh’s 2010 recording, officially released on March 7, 2011.
“The plaintiff is the owner of all copyrights related to the song ‘Mmh baba,’ which song was produced by Joseph Karina Muna, who transferred all the rights to the plaintiff via a song ownership agreement, and further, the plaintiff has registered the song with the Kenya Copyright Board and was issued with a certificate of registration of a copyright work number RZ79628,” argued Kibare.
She added that YouTube’s content identification system had flagged notable similarities between the two tracks and that an American entertainment company had allegedly upheld Erroh’s infringement claim.
“The defendants took the lyrical hook and added it to their song ‘Kum Baba’ without seeking the petitioner’s license or assignment, continue to distribute it on all music streaming and distribution platforms, and continue to benefit from it both morally and economically without my authorization while infringing on his rights, hence causing irreparable harm to his craft,” she argued.
Erroh, supporting his case, said the disputed phrase formed the core attraction of his gospel hit.
“It won me the prestigious Groove Award as the hip hop song of the year in 2023,” he said, noting that various media outlets had highlighted the similarities between the two songs.
He insisted that Wakadinali had allegedly ignored calls to take down the track.
“The respondents responded negatively responded to the concern and totally ignored the uproar… I am the lawful owner of the copyright in the work titled ‘ Mmh baba’ which I wrote in 2010 and released on March 7, 2011,” he argued.