The highly anticipated Raha Festival hit a sour note last night as chaos disrupted the event, leaving fans disappointed and international dancehall star Shenseea unable to complete her performance.
What began as a promising night ended in confusion as teargas was lobbed at the attendees and the Jamaican artiste was forced to cut short her performance.
Shenseea had barely warmed up the stage when police came in, lobbing teargas into the crowd to disperse a chaotic scene fuelled by uninvited attendees breaching the venue.
The commotion forced the star to be whisked away, cutting her set short after just a few minutes.
Taking to X, Shenseea expressed her disappointment, writing:
“Now Kenya, I’m a lil mad at y’all ngl.” [sic]
Fans responded with mixed emotions, including a cheeky apology from user @Osengo_, who quipped, “Somebody tell her that we Shenseeally apologize.”
Other users, however, directed their ire at the event’s organizers and promoters, blaming them for the night’s disarray.
One user @KarimGidali summed up the public sentiment with his response.
“Promoters have conned revellers once again.”
The Raha Festival is just the latest in a string of poorly executed events in Kenya this December, highlighting a troubling pattern of organizational failures.
Earlier this month, the Furaha Festival on December 7th faced its own share of chaos.
Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platnumz was slated to headline Furaha but left the venue without performing, citing security concerns and disorganization.
The incident, which involved scheduling conflicts with Kenyan artist Willy Paul and the abrupt cancellation of Jamaican reggae artist Etana’s show, drew widespread criticism.
Diamond, who reportedly received $150,000 for the event, later defended his decision not to perform, stating:
“I cannot be paid $150,000 and then come fight to perform on stage. I stick to my time, and if it’s over, I leave.”
Kenyan concerts are increasingly becoming a source of disappointment for both fans and performers.
Fans point to poor planning, lack of security, and promoters failing to deliver on promises.
Promoters, on the other hand, often deflect blame, citing unpredictable circumstances and logistical challenges.
At Raha Festival, the breach of security leading to teargas and disarray was only one example of continued cases of mismanagement.
