Veteran singer Eric Wainaina had been blacklisted by 3 past govts from performing at State events.
Wainaina’s woes started in September 2001 when he performed at a music festival attended by the late Vice-President George Saitoti.
The singer sang his anti-corruption song ‘Kitu Kidogo’ at the event sparking protest from government officials.
‘Kitu Kidogo’ condemned rampant corruption in Kenya which was prevalent during the regime of late President Daniel Arap Moi.
Organizers disconnected loudspeakers when Eric Wainaina was halfway through his performance and someone also grabbed his microphone.
“My thought process was, I’m not going to stop because a few people are going to be upset. I had the vice-president in front of me and it’s important that this message gets across,” Wainaina said while speaking to the BBC at the time.
As a result, Eric Wainaina was blacklisted from State functions, and his song was banned from being played on state media platforms.
The governments of Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta largely ignored Wainaina for speaking the truth to power.
In December 2021, Rights Activist Boniface Mwangi called out Uhuru Kenyatta for continuing the blacklist of Eric Wainaina.
Mwangi was irked after the then outgoing Japan Ambassador to Kenya Ryoichi Horie performed Eric Wainaina’s song at State House before Uhuru.
The envoy amazed retired President Uhuru with his mastery of Swahili when he performed ‘Mkenya Daima’ composed by the celebrated Wainaina.
While many people lauded Horie’s performance, Boniface Mwangi came out to reveal that ‘Mkenya Daima’ composer Wainaina couldn’t even step to State House to perform there.
Mwangi lamented that Uhuru banned Wainaina from performing at State functions because he was opposed to his election in 2013.
Mwangi said ahead of 2013 polls, Wainaina published an opinion piece in a local newspaper saying he couldn’t endorse Uhuru and William Ruto who were facing criminal charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hague, Netherlands.
“@EricWainaina’s Daima song at @StateHouseKenya is that Eric is banned from State events. Eric wrote an op-Ed for The Star newspaper in 2013 saying he can’t vote for 2 men accused of crimes against humanity. Uhuruto’s government blacklisted him,” Boniface Mwangi tweeted.
I’m informed this is the Japanese ambassador performing @StateHouseKenya but my point still stands. One of the best Kenya’s musician of my generation @EricWainaina can’t perform at State events for speaking truth to power. Uhuruto’s government punished Eric for saying the truth! https://t.co/QgCafIv25h
— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) December 8, 2021
Fast forward to December 12, 2023, Eric Wainaina performed at a government function for the first time in 22 years on Jamhuri Day December 12, 2023.
Wainaina performed before president William Ruto and top government echelons.
However, Wainaina didn’t perform his anti-corruption song ‘Kitu Kidogo’. He instead performed the patriotic song ‘Daima’.
Related: Boniface Mwangi Reveals Why President Uhuru Banned Eric Wainaina From State Functions
