Governor Johnson Sakaja has ignited lively online banter after threatening to deport performers at the Gabzy x Asake concert.
Reacting to a statement by Kodong Klan confirming their withdrawal from their performance at the Tukutane concert, the Nairobi governor jokingly commented in Swahili, “Semeni Ngwe’ ni wa deport,”
The comment immediately attracted waves of reactions, with some netizens laughing it off while others joined in with playful pushback.
Among those who responded was Instagram user @castenimmo, who replied, “Mkuu usiwe hivyo prssss mashemeji wa01 itakuwa tricky buana,” a light-hearted response that further fueled the joking exchange.
The interaction quickly became the focal point of the comment section, with users trading humour, memes, and reactions as the conversation shifted from the cancellation itself to the governor’s online presence.
While the online exchange dominated timelines, the banter unfolded against the backdrop of Kodong Klan’s decision to pull out of the show, a move the collective explained in a detailed statement.
According to the group, the cancellation followed what they described as a pattern of disrespect and unmet agreements during event preparations.
“We will not be performing today,” the statement read. “Key commitments that were agreed to before contracts were signed were repeatedly ignored or changed. Despite multiple efforts on our part to adjust and resolve these issues in good faith, our concerns were not taken seriously.”
Kodong Klan further explained that tensions reportedly escalated during soundcheck, citing interference from another artist’s team and limited intervention from organizers, leading them to conclude that performing under such conditions would normalize mistreatment within the industry.
Organisers of the concert confirmed the withdrawal of Kodong Klan from their list of performers.
The incident has since sparked wider conversations within Kenya’s creative space not only about artist treatment and event professionalism, but also about how public figures engage online when cultural moments collide with controversy. For many, Sakaja’s comment underscored how quickly humour can shape the narrative, even as serious concerns linger in the background.