Nairobi News

Irma Sakwa, the mother and manager of Kenyan rap sensation Trio Mio, has voiced her concerns over a promoter who left them stranded in Kisumu after failing to uphold a commitment made five months ago.

The incident occurred over the weekend during the Summer Concert at Mamboleo Stadium, where Trio Mio, along with fellow artists Ngesh and the Buruklyn Boyz, were slated to perform.

In an exclusive interview with Nairobi News, Irma Sakwa recounted the distressing turn of events that unfolded due to the unfulfilled promises of the promoter, identified as Kanambo Entertainment.

The artists were scheduled to take the stage after a mutual agreement, with the terms stipulating that the balance of their payment was to be settled before their performance.

The promoter, however, failed to meet this obligation, leading to a series of disappointing experiences for the artists and their team.

Sakwa expressed her disbelief at the promoter’s inability to meet his commitments, especially given that he had secured sponsors for the event.

“To book the artiste, the promoter paid half the price and the balance was to be paid before the artiste got on stage.

This promoter starts saying he does not have money after we are in Kisumu. I listened to him as a mother. He is called Kanambo Entertainment. He had sponsors on board. You can not tell me he was not able to pay artists. We came all the way from Nairobi to come for the show,” she expressed.

Despite this dedication, the promoter allegedly evaded calls and failed to provide the necessary payments, leaving the artists and their manager to navigate the situation.

“I made sure my artiste was on the ground by 1:00pm. He did not pick up our calls. He picked up calls when we arrived and came with excuses.”

Sakwa’s frustration extended to the fact that the promoter had made the arrangements five months prior, implying that the artists could have secured alternative gigs during that time had they not been bound by their agreement with him.

“Buruklyn Boyz and Ngesh arrived on Friday by road. That was very wrong. I had to foot for that bill. He did not pay for our accommodations and transport as well,” she alleged

Sakwa said she took a stand and chose not to allow Trio Mio to perform under such circumstances.

“I refused for Trio Mio to perform. His brand is beyond that. I do not know whether the others performed.”

Nairobi News reached out to the promoter but his phone was off when this story was published.

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