Kenya continues to lose out as international superstars troop to South Africa, Rwanda

US rapper Kendrick Lamar performed in Kigali, Rwanda on December 6, 2023, as the headliner of the first Move Afrika festival, a collaboration between Global Citizen, pgLang, and the Rwanda Development Board.

His arrival in Rwanda caused quite the stir around East Africa and across Africa as fans, drawn from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and others from as far as Nigeria and South Africa, flew to Kigali, Rwanda to catch the "Be Humble" star live in the flesh.

Kenyan influencers and celebrities were among those who trooped Rwanda as president Paul Kagame joined thousands of fans for what has been billed as one of the most mind-blowing concerts held on African soil, over the last few years.

Kendrick did not just deliver a sonic and lyrical masterpiece; he also commanded the stage with his effortlessly cool style as over 70 local artists joined the American star in thrilling over 8,000 adoring fans.

Just before Lamar hit the stage, President Kagame delivered a short but heartfelt speech, emphasizing the power of music to empower youth and unite the African continent. 

Loud chants echoed, "Niwowe!" Kinyarwanda for, "You're the one!"

"What a good way of ending the year! With music, with energy, with optimism," Kagame said to the roaring crowd.

Just two months before, Kigali had hosted the Trace Awards, a Pan-African music awards show created to celebrate and shine a light on some of the brightest and most impressive music stars of the moment.

With over 50 stars from all over the world converging at the 10,000-capacity BK Arena, the awards ceremony turned out to be a melting pot of music talent as the likes of Davido, Rema, Zuchu, Yemi Alade, D'Banj, Ayra Starr and more mingled easily, igniting Kigali and setting the stage alight - either by performances or by merely walking up to the podium, to receive their award.

From their seats, thousands of fans erupted in thunderous applause as star after star, many drawn from around the world, took to the stage and put on hypnotic performances, dazzling Africa.

Some of the notable names who thrilled fans included Veteran South African gospel singer Benjamin Dube (South Africa), Bruce Melodie (Rwanda), Bwiza (Rwanda), Didi B (Ivory Coast), Dystinct (Morocco), Josey (Ivory Coast), Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde), Locko (Cameroon), Perola (Angola), Plutonio (Mozambique), Princess Lover (Martinique), Yemi Alade (Nigeria) and Ronisia (France).

Not too long after the Rwanda stadium masterpiece, Africa would once again host one of the biggest R&B stars in the world - in fact, some have stubbornly dubbed him the new King of R&B.

On December 14 and 15, 2024, Chris Brown performed two sold-out shows at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa marking his first performances in the country in almost a decade.

"I’ve been waiting my whole life for this kind of moment,” a full-hearted Brown told the massive crowd. “I just want to say from the bottom of my heart I love you guys so much. This night means a lot to me.”

He added, “I ain’t been out here in a long time. I’ve been rocking for two and a half hours, and y’all just let me rock. I appreciate that!”

The show, dubbed the “Breezy Bowl”, saw Brown perform with his 18 dancers to many of his hits from 2002 to the present day.

Not only did the musical icon perform his Amapiano and Afrobeat songs like “Sensational” featuring Davido and “MONALISA” with South African artist Lojay, he also gave the crowd classics including “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” “Wall to Wall,” “Run It!” and newer hits like “Residuals,” “Angel Numbers/Ten Toes,” and “Under The Influence.”

In staying to true Brown style, the singer made sure to fly across the stadium in special harnesses, as he floated above a sea of fans, heads titled, as they screamed and fluttered their arms in heavenly adoration. 

A day after wrapping up the historic performances, that saw thousands upon thousands of Africans descend in South Africa for the remarkable shows, many on X and other social media platforms dubbed him the "New Michael Jackson."

Two months later, Rwanda would once again host an international R&B superstar. John Legend, one of the most decorated singers and songwriters in the world, flew to Kigali for yet another show-stopping performance.

On February 21, Move Afrika made a triumphant return to Kigali, delivering a stunning night of music and citizen-led advocacy hosted by John Legend in front of a sold-out crowd at BK Arena.

The EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, multiplatinum artist and producer performed a setlist studded with some of his greatest hits, including “Ordinary People,” “Green Light,” and “All of Me.”

“I am so proud to be here, my first-ever performance in Kigali, in East Africa, and in Rwanda. We are here tonight because we love you. Because we want to celebrate music and love because we feel connected to you,” Legend said.

Legend's Kigali concert saw Kenyan fans, again, troop to the tiny nation to catch the show in person. Among them were influencer Maureen Bandari and her gal pals, Kilifi County Communications Director Karen Knaust, Instagram heavyweight Murugi Munyi and gal pal Lydia Kim.

Speaking about her experience, content creator Murugi Munyi said: "This place is so clean, so organized. You know your exact gate and entrance and seat. There's food and drinks...Multiple vendors and people cleaning every few minutes."

During his performance, Legend also fully embraced and celebrated Rwandan culture, fashion, and its local creative economy by wearing custom designs by Kigali-based fashion houses Moshions and Tanga.

Tonight, Legend will be a star attraction in Lagos, Nigeria for yet another sold-out show.

While all this has been happening, Kenya has had to sit back and marvel at the absolute excellence of other countries - struck by their adeptness at planning events, their mercurial dexterity and their magnificent arenas, complete with all the necessary - and exemplary - stage accessories.

Over the last several years, Kenya has played host to virtually all the Reggae artists, from the high-flying to the downright washed-up, in a Live industry that appears woefully stuck on re-booking and regurgitating defunct Reggae acts who are way past their prime.

Kenya's inability to attract superior musical acts, especially from the US, can be attributed to various factors which include poor infrastructure, lack of goodwill from event organizers, an unsuitable climate for international superstars, terrible event organizing, lack of government support, fear of revenue losses and general indolence from all the stakeholders.

While speaking to Capital FM, Ms Joy Wachira, the Managing Director at Madfun Group said that before they asked Burna Boy to come perform in Kenya on March 1, 2025, they had first approached Chris Brown, but he turned them down.

"Chris brown explained that it is not about the money. He was clear that Kenya lacks the infrastructure to support his kind of performances. He wants to come to a stage flying from one place to another, where can he do that?" Ms Wachira said.

After hitting a snag, Madfun had to settle for a star with as much star power as Chris Brown, and that was Nigerian Afrobeat star Burna Boy.

Even when hosting Reggae artists, who don't demand a lot, Kenya has fallen miserably short of delivering. Shensea's concert was marred by riots and tear gas while Diamond Platnumz had to cancel his show after a full-blown altercation between his management and Kenyan singer Willy Paul.

Even in Kisumu, as thousands of fans jammed the Mamboleo Sports Complex eager to catch Koffi Olomide and his band, things took a nosedive after skirmishes, characterised by poor planning, sound issues and lateness threw everything into disarray.

The Congolese legend ended up cancelling the rest of his performance, much to the chagrin of the gathered fans. His few minutes on stage were also punctuated by boos and jeers from a displeased crowd.

"Kenya just can't hold successful international events. It starts from the organisers, down to Kenyans themselves who, sometimes, will be unwilling to pay or even play by the rules, as it happened during Shensea and Uncle Waffles concerts," Charles Kimenjo, who was the MC at Java Blue Gardens, during the Harmonize Concert said.

"This kind of negative press affects us a lot. These artists talk to each other, their managers talk to each other. We cannot continue putting up such horrible shows and expect superstars to continue coming here. I think we need to start being professional first, before anything else."

On her part, Brenda Wangari, a young fan disappointed in the Kenyan live music scene, added: "I think the problem is the organizers. Over the last ten years or so, Kenyan organisers noticed that reggae concerts are low-hanging fruit and they can make a quick buck at the gate, therefore all they book is reggae artists."

She added, "It's all about greed. Kenyan organisers do not want to spend real money to book artists. They want to spend as little as possible and make huge profits. And everyone knows that reggae artists don't ask for much. We need a mental revolution."

As Kenya awaits Burna Boy, many are eager to see a few things; a stage crafted to international standards and professionalism witnessed in Kigali. 

"We want proper definitions of VIP and VVIP. Not just lumping everyone together and assuming all is good. We also want professional security personnel, affordable food and drinks, clean toilets and an environment that can actually support a live concert," Brenda adds.