The Interior Ministry has waded into a debate on whether Congolese musician Koffi Olomide should be allowed in the country to perform in Kakamega following his antics in July 2016 that saw him deported.
Olomide is lined up to perform at the Devolution Conference which runs from April 23rd to April 27th but Interior Ministry spokesperson Mwenda Njoka maintained that it was up to the organizers to apply to have restrictions on his travel eased.
“Please, talk to the organisers and the Koffi team and ask them if they got the ban lifted. The onus is on Koffi Olomide to apply for the lifting of the ban and not the government,” he stated.
Olomide was caught on camera assaulting one of his female dancers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) when he arrived for a show in 2016, sparking an uproar that led to his dramatic deportation moments after he gave a TV interview.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya personally invited Olomide to perform in the county at the Bukhungu Stadium after the 2018 Devolution Conference.
[caption caption="Police restrain Koffi Olomide at JKIA in 2016"]
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“Our people love Koffi Olomide’s music and it will be very exciting if he will be allowed to come and perform at Bukhungu to entertain guests attending the devolution conference and Lingala music enthusiasts in the western region,” he stated.
He called on Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa to intervene and ensure the planned tour proceeded smoothly.
Oparanya asked Wamalwa to raise the issue with his Interior Ministry counterpart Fred Matiang'i to ensure the show went on.
Wamalwa promised to look into it and ensure the musician and his band were allowed into the country.
Kakamega County officials also rubbished claims that the county government was paying Olomide Sh20 Million to perform at the event.
“The county government will not spend any money to bring Koffi to Kakamega. In fact, the county will earn revenue from gate collections and the hiring of the stadium for the live performance by Koffi,” stated County head of communication Dickson Rayori.
Here is a video of Olomide promising the show of a lifetime in Kakamega courtesy of Kakamega Digital:
Our countdown to the @KenyaGovernors 5th Annual Devolution Conference to be held in Kakamega County (April 23 - 27th 2018). You are all welcome to the green jewel @County037 as @KoffiOlomide_MM will be performing too . @GovWOparanya @WilliamsRuto #Devcon2018 #Kakamega pic.twitter.com/M8F0ySciYB
— Kakamega Digital (@KakamegaDigital) April 13, 2018
