@Jack_Black Please never argue with me again. Please! Please! Hii iwe the last time.
Article by former Buzz editor, events promoter, former artists manager and veteran entertainment journalist John Muchiri.
HE FACE BEHIND THE TRAGIC ASAKE’S CONCERT
Last weekend’s Asake concert was not unique when it comes to tragedy during events. People have died in events before worldwide, and in Kenya too.
Lessons have been learnt, and events experts have upped their game as far as events security and crowd management is concerned.
Last weekend’s concert, saw a young girl, Karen Lojore, die due to a stampede at the gates of the Nyayo National Stadium, where Nigerian singer Asake was performing.
Could this have been avoided? Where were the red flags? Did the event owners anticipate a potential crowd control issue?
Yes!
The event managers knew exactly how many people they were expecting at the venue. They sold their tickets online, using their own website and tickets were just being validated at the gate.
With this info, they could have prepared themselves well on how to handle such a large crowd. They had enough time to test their systems and make sure they work efficiently and fast enough to avoid a stampede. The concert was announced over three months ago.
Responsibility. Judging by how the organizers are handling the matter, they seem unbothered about the tragedy.
They let the event go on, knowing very well that someone had died and many injured.
Now the real part. Who were the organizers?
The Tukutane Concert was organized by Tukutane Entertainment Corporation and Tukutane Entertainment Kenya Limited.
These two companies are owned by their mother company, KS Group Africa, with their offices located in Westlands, Nairobi.
The CEO of KS Group Africa is Khalhani Sichangi. He is also the CEO of Tukutane Entertainment.
If you were wondering who was the organizer of the event, Sichangi is your man, and should be in a position to answer all the pending questions.
So where did the millions come from to pay Asake over Sh50 million or thereabouts?
The event had sponsors like Martel and L’Oréal. But my eyes are fixated on one gold sponsor, Honey Coin.
Honey Coin, owned by a young entrepreneur David Nandwa, is a fintech company that builds financial infrastructure for cross-border payments and blockchain technology.
In short they ‘play with large amounts of money’ targeting both companies and individuals.
On their platform, ukilipwa pesa in dollars, they convert it to your local currency quickly, and in a cheaper way, and get it straight to your bank or M-Pesa account within no time.
How big is this company? According to reliable sources, Honeycoin transactions per month go over $100 million (about Ksh13 billion).
Hapo wakitoa commission yao kwa hizo transactions, they have good cash flow, and if Asake wanted Sh100 million, angelipwa tu.
Now you know the organizers, I am waiting for that press conference. The press conference will not bring the girl back, but it will give you a clear picture on who failed where.
At the moment, the entire events management industry is carrying the weight on this tragedy.
Solfest was well executed just five minutes from Nyayo. Kisumu had a successful Luo Festival and Blankets and Wine was a success too.
All those organizers are known. You can’t hide behind a mask forever.
JOHN MOSH
