Kisumu Crowd Storms Stage After Koffi Olomide's Brief, Pre-Recorded Performance

Kisumu hosted Congolese music legend Koffi Olomide on Saturday night during the Msuqa Festival, but the highly anticipated concert fell significantly short of fan expectations.

The event held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium featured ticket prices reaching as high as Sh15,000, yet the performance did not deliver on the quality promised. Olomide, known for his contributions to the rhumba genre, took to the stage without his renowned Quatier Latin Band.

Instead, he performed a brief set of just 20 minutes using pre-recorded tracks, disappointing many loyal fans who had eagerly waited for a live show. Devoted fan Zachary Mbima expresses his frustrations, recounting his experience of waiting from 8 PM until 3 AM for the underwhelming performance.

"I can't believe that I paid Sh15,000 just to watch Koffi shout 'Yaka! Yaka makisa! Yaka Mopao!' into the microphone for 10 minutes before leaving. I highly regret wasting my hard-earned money," stated an irate Mbima.

Another fan, Evance Otieno, places the event's shortcomings squarely on the event organizers, lamenting that the show was much hyped but it turned out to be an embarrassment. The crowd's dissatisfaction reached a climax as fans stormed the stage, creating a chaotic scene and demanding an explanation for the lack of a proper performance.

During the disruption, Market Milimani ward representative Seth Kanga seized the microphone from Ohangla musician Prince Indah, condemning the situation in vernacular. Event promoter Jules Nsana cites logistical challenges faced by Koffi's band members as a primary reason for the disappointing performance.

He explains that the 20-member ensemble encountered significant travel disruptions at Kinshasa Airport, which led to reroutes through Uganda. While Olomide arrived in Kisumu on schedule via Kenya Airways, his band members were delayed at the Busia border due to clearance issues, arriving only at 10 AM on Sunday.

"They were forced to board a Uganda Airlines flight to Entebbe from DRC after missing direct connections to Nairobi. From Entebbe, we opted to ferry the band members by road to Kisumu to save on time," Nsana details.

Acknowledging the fans' discontent, Nsana promises to organize another concert as a form of restitution. Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga has extended apologies on behalf of the county, emphasizing their lack of awareness regarding the logistical issues until it was too late.

"The county only assisted with promotions, but the event was managed by Msuqa Festival and TV47," Wanga clarifies, stating efforts would be made to arrange a compensatory show, likely free of charge.

This incident follows closely behind another recent concert disappointment involving Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz who failed to perform at the Furaha City Festival in Nairobi despite receiving a substantial payment. Platnumz cited ongoing disputes with the organizers and refused to refund the amount. Similarly, Jamaican reggae artist Etana cancelled her Nairobi show, alleging scheduling conflicts related to Platnumz’s performance.