In the 1990s, Kanda Bongoman was at the peak of his fame in Kenya. Known as the king of kwasa kwasa, the Congolese star filled stadiums with his electrifying performances. But behind the music, a political storm was brewing. According to veteran broadcaster Fred Obachi Machoka, the so-called Kanda Bongoman Moi scandal nearly ended the musician’s career in Kenya and led to his sudden deportation.
In 1991, during a packed show at Nyayo Stadium, government operatives summoned Machoka. He was instructed to tell Kanda that his time in Kenya was over. “I found him well-dressed, ready to perform, and in high spirits,” Machoka recalled. “I told him, ‘Kanda, kumeharibika’—things are bad.” Minutes later, police officers arrived and ordered the star to prepare for deportation.
Confused, Kanda asked why he was being expelled. The answer shocked Fred. Security officers claimed that the singer had been romantically linked to Catherine Kasavuli, the celebrated news anchor who was rumored to be close to President Daniel arap Moi. Machoka, who had been with Kanda throughout his stay, dismissed the allegations. He even pointed to a television set showing Kasavuli reading the news, asking the musician if he knew her. “He replied, ‘TV girl, very beautiful,’ but insisted he had never met her,” Fred said.
Despite his protests, Kanda was escorted to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport under police guard and forced onto an Air France flight. Machoka later suggested that the scandal may have been politically motivated. He linked it to powerful security chief Hezekiah Oyugi, who had asked Kanda to perform at his daughter’s wedding. When Kanda declined, Oyugi allegedly retaliated by fueling the rumors about Kasavuli and Moi.
The late Catherine Kasavuli denied any involvement with the Congolese musician, while Kanda himself remained puzzled by the accusations. Interestingly, he was truly in love with a Kenyan woman named Rose Wambui Wahito, who later married businessman and politician Suleiman Shahbal in 1999. His affection for her was immortalized in the hit song Wahito.
Though clouded by controversy, the Kanda Bongoman Moi scandal highlights how music, politics, and power intertwined in 1990s Kenya. For Kanda, what was meant to be a triumphant tour ended in exile, leaving behind stories that remain etched in Kenya’s cultural memory.
