BAHATI BLAMES MARIGA FOR DELAYING SH1 MILLION PLEDGE TO HARAMBEE STARS

Kenyan musician Bahati has responded to concerns about his delayed KSh 1 million pledge made to the Harambee Stars following their recent match against Morocco.

The pledge was promised by Bahati and his wife, Diana Marua, ahead of the national team’s game against Morocco. In a video, Bahati addressed the accusations that he was clout chasing and avoiding accountability. “One million is too small for me to use anyone for clout. I have not released a song for a year and I am still the most talked about artiste in Kenya,” he stated. “I have even sat on President Uhuru’s seat and trended. I don’t need clout from our players.”

Providing a reason for the delay, Bahati explained that the process had been stalled due to difficulties in reaching McDonald Mariga, who was the intended point of contact for the donation. The artist shared screenshots of his communication attempts, noting, “I called him on Monday and Tuesday; he didn’t pick up the phone.” Bahati confirmed that he had eventually reached Mariga via text message.

The controversy began when renowned Swahili football commentator Fred Arocho challenged Bahati on a radio show to honour his pledge. Arocho expressed frustration, revealing that the artist had been seemingly avoiding follow-up, offering excuses about being out of town. “There are no stories of friendship here. Let me warn Bahati: you will remove that money. You cannot use Kenyan players for clout.”