There was an uncomfortable moment at Othaya Stadium on May 5th during a public event attended by deputy president Kithure Kindiki and local leaders. Gospel artists Martin Janet and Ngaruiya Junior performed live but the crowd there gave them a cold shoulder.
In a viral video, Martin Janet is seen urging the crowd: “Pigia Bwana makofi!” asking them to clap for the Lord, but they stood still. When Ngaruiya Junior took the mic and shouted “Ruka, Ruka, Rukia Yesu!” no one moved. Instead, the crowd quietly took videos with their phones. The event’s MC had to cut the performance short and invite deputy president to speak.
On May 6th, Ngaruiya Junior shared his frustration on Facebook and suggested that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had mobilized the crowd to ignore the gospel artists aligned with the current deputy president when they perform in Nyeri. He wrote: “H.E. Rigathi Gachagua,Ulisema tusiimbe Nyeri. Hapa ni Rift Valley.
Lawyer and political commentator Wahome Thuku responded the same day and defended Gachagua. In a Facebook post, Wahome said: “It’s not Gachagua who told you never to sing in Nyeri. It’s the people.He was not in Othaya Stadium where you danced yourself breathlessly with zero response from locals.”
By Nairobi