ISHOWSPEED REVEALS KENYA WAS HIS FAVOURITE COUNTRY TO VISIT

American streaming superstar IShowSpeed has named Kenya as his most memorable stop during his record-breaking 20-country Speed Does Africa tour, describing the experience as unlike anything he has ever witnessed.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sports Daily, the 21-year-old streamer, real name Darren Watkins Jr., reflected on the massive reception he received in Nairobi and revealed that Kenya left him astonished.

Speaking to hosts Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz, Speed said the turnout in Kenya surpassed every other country on the continent. “Out of the whole African tour, Kenya is the craziest,” he said. “My Kenya visit was so crazy to me, on how much people just came out for me. I think it was about 30,000 people that came out from the city just to watch me stream and be alone in experiences with me. I don’t think I’ve never seen that much people ever. To pull that such a crowd in Africa, I was astonished. I’m be honest.“

Speed’s visit to Kenya on January 11, 2026, shattered multiple records. His Nairobi livestream peaked at 8.5 million viewers  the highest of any African stop on the tour and delivered over 360,000 new YouTube subscribers in a single day, pushing his channel past 48 million followers.

An Ipsos report later revealed that the three-day visit generated a staggering 93.1 billion potential online impressions, transforming Kenya into what analysts called “the epicentre of global digital culture” .

Unlike traditional celebrity visits, Speed’s Kenyan experience was unfiltered and spontaneous. He rode matatus, tried his hand at cooking ugali, bought a customised shirt at Kenyatta Market for KSh20,000, received javelin coaching from Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego, and performed a backflip near lions at Nairobi National Park – moments that went viral across TikTok, YouTube, and X .

Speed’s 28-day Africa tour, which ran from December 2025 to January 2026, took him to 20 countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda and Senegal. Throughout the journey, his goal was to showcase African culture and everyday people.