When a favourite music group decides to split up, it often feels like the end of an era for fans. After years of making hits, touring the world and sharing a special bond, the news that a band is breaking up can be shocking. For the musicians, this choice usually comes after a long period of change.
Sometimes they want to try new things on their own, while other times the members simply grow apart or find it hard to work together anymore.
In the Kenyan music industry, this has been the case since the early 2000s.
Sourced from a 2005 PULSE issue, music groups Wakimbizi, Mr Googz and Vinni Banton, One II Moja, Sema and Kleptomaniax were among those that started out tight as a cork before eventually splitting up.
First, singers Circuite and Jo-el were a famous Kenyan musical duo who became stars in the early 2000s.
The cousins, Gerald Wagana Munga, popularly known as ‘Circuite’, and Jo-el Muchai, were key figures in the Genge music scene and are best remembered for their massive hit song, “Manyake”, originally titled “Juala”.
Released in 2003, the song became a national sensation because it used catchy slang to talk openly about safe sex. However, the duo later broke up, citing lifestyle changes and personal struggles.
During the height of their success, Circuite struggled with alcoholism, which eventually led him to a spiritual awakening in 2008. He became a born-again Christian and shifted his focus to gospel ministry, making it impossible to continue their “Manyake” era of music.
“Our break-up was good because it made each of us mature individually,” Jo-el told PULSE at the time.
As Circuite transitioned into his current role as a pastor, Jo-el decided to pursue a more stable career in the IT industry. While Jo-el still views music as a hobby, he moved away from the spotlight to focus on his professional life.
Although the cousins are no longer musical partners, they remain on good terms, having chosen different paths as they matured and pursued new goals.
Another group was Sema, which included artistes Sanaipei Tande, Pam Waithaka and Kevin Waweru. The group eventually split up and, according to Sanaipei, the members were very young and lacked experienced managers to help them navigate the music business or handle their finances.
This lack of guidance made it difficult for the group to stay organised as they grew. Internal disagreements also played a major role in the breakup.
One specific conflict involved Bishop John Gertjan’s planned trip to the Netherlands, which Sanaipei chose not to join.
“It was a great opportunity to further our career, hence we had to go,” Pam told PULSE in 2005. She added, “The whole break-up thing is just very sad but it’s cool because we are surviving.”
Following the split, the ‘Amina’ hitmaker successfully moved into radio and a solo music career, while the other members largely stepped away from the public eye.
Music group One II Moja also failed to take off due to infighting among members, including Redsan, Shanky Radics, Lyrical Erico and Kiddush.
According to the publication at the time, the group reportedly struggled to stay organised and professional, leading to their eventual split in 2000.
Despite their potential, they were only able to stay together for two years before the partnership fell apart.
“It was not our fault, but since Sync Sounds folded, we had nowhere to go,” Shanky said at the time.
Redsan, however, maintained that he was never officially part of the group.
“I have never been part of One II Moja. Actually, we used to hang out together since we had started out in the same studio,” the ‘Must Be Mad’ hitmaker said in 2005.
Kleptomaniax was a legendary Kenyan hip-hop trio formed in 1999 at Nairobi School. The group was made up of Roba (Robert Manyasa), Collo (Collins Majale) and Nyashinski (Nyamari Ongegu).
They became superstars under the Ogopa DJs label with massive hits like “Tuendelee”.
After a decade of success and a tour in the United States, the group decided to take a break between 2007 and 2009 to focus on their personal lives and solo music careers.
The split happened naturally as the members developed different creative interests. Nyashinski moved to the U.S. for nearly 10 years, stepping away from the music scene for an extended period.
Back in Kenya, Collo eventually shifted his focus to gospel music, while Roba pursued private business interests.
They dominated the Kenyan airwaves in the early 2000s with hits like “Freak It”, “Haree”, “Swing Swing” and the famous diss-response track “Tuendelee”.
This article was first written by Charles Otieno