On Saturday, August 6, Tanzanian bongo star, Naseeb Abdul Juma alias Diamond Platnumz brought the Azimio la Umoja rally at Kasarani stadium into a frenzy with an electric performance.
The rally presented a chance for the coalition's presidential candidate, Raila Odinga to give his make his final pitch before the Tuesday, August 9 general election.
It also offered the politicians an opportunity to endear themselves to Kenyans before complying with the IEBC set deadline on campaigns - 48 hours before the election date.
Diamond's performance elicited debate from Kenyans online - as some critics opined that a local-based artiste ought to have headlined the final rally.
A spot check on his social media profile indicated that the musician flew from Johannesburg, South Africa to Nairobi in a private jet, ZS-EXG for him to arrive on time for the performance.
The journey from Johannesburg to Nairobi takes about three and a half hours which would mean the musician had access to the jet for at least eight hours for the performance.
The typical rate to charter the jet is around Ksh402,500 per hour which would mean the coalition spent at least Ksh3.2 million to facilitate his movement from the South African capital to Nairobi.
The jet belongs to the Hawker 800XP series designed by a swiss aviation multinational, Execujet, which also has an office in South Africa.
Apart from the jet, Azimio provided a chopper that transferred the entertainer from JKIA to Kasarani Stadium for the rally. After the show, he and his entourage were transferred back to the airport by luxury vans provided by a local company.
According to his social profile, Diamond thrilled the crowd in a 15-minute performance before flying back to Johannesburg in time for his daughter, Tiffah Dangote's birthday.
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The jet class is highly regarded due to its cruise performance, cabin space, and takeoff distance. It has a capacity of eight passengers and can travel a range of 4,444 kilometres. The jet can cruise at a speed of 740 kilometres per hour.
"While the Hawker 800XP does not stand out over its competitors in any key field, its combination of fuel economy, cruise performance, cabin space, takeoff distance and climb has made it one of the most popular jets in its class," reads part of the profile on the Air Charter Worldwide site.
Those seeking to purchase the older model of the jet will cough up Ksh119 million before taxes.
The newest model however retails at over Ksh718 million. Currently, over 400 Hawker 800XPs remain in operation.
