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| Emurua Dikirr Mp Johana Ngeno, Other MPs at Previous Kalenjin Music Festival |
Emurua Dikirr Member of Parliament Johana Ngeno, known by his nickname "Ngong" or "Chepombumbu," has been a topic of discussion ever since he launched his struggling campaign to take over South Rift politics as a kingpin. This has even earned him the name "Kingpin" when he is being praised for his support.
In his campaign, Ngeno has launched a drive called the Kalenjin Music Festival, whose first and second editions were held at the famous Kapkatet grounds. The third edition is scheduled to take place at Eldoret Sports Club on the 13th of December this year.
In these events, money is given to artists who have done little other than ask their fans to vote for them to be among the best artists. The artists are nominated, then voted for by their fans, and the winners receive the money.
The list includes categories like "Best Male Artist of the Year" and "Best Female Artist," as well as many other categories ranging from content creation to radio presenters, all from the Kalenjin community.
We discovered that Ngong Ngeno is the only sponsor of this festival, and up to 50 million shillings will be spent on this luxurious event.
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| The Kalenjin Music Festival Poster |
Here is the breakdown of how the money is being spent:
The event has been grouped into three categories, each with several subcategories. The first group has two categories, each with a winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up. Each of the top three in each category is expected to go home with Ksh 1,000,000, Ksh 500,000, and Ksh 300,000, respectively. This totals Ksh 3,600,000.
The second group has four categories, each with a winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up. Each of the top three in each category is expected to receive Ksh 500,000, Ksh 300,000, and Ksh 200,000, respectively. This totals Ksh 4,000,000.
The third group includes thirty-eight categories, each with a winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up. Each of the top three in each category is expected to go home with Ksh 300,000, Ksh 200,000, and Ksh 100,000, respectively. This totals Ksh 22,800,000.
Moreover, there are other smaller categories for talented children who will be offered scholarships and money, which could exceed Ksh 1,000,000. The event started in October and will run until the last day, meaning a lot of money has already been used in preparation to pay those responsible for running the event and the tools used.
Other expenses include booking the venue, security services, and many other preparation costs, which are roughly estimated to cost over Ksh 5,000,000, including the MCs and entertainment apparatus.
It is also known and has been witnessed that the artists mostly use helicopters to travel from their homes to the venue, and the cost is borne by the MP.
The total cost of this luxurious event adds up to ksh 40,000,000.
It remains unclear where this money is coming from, since even if the MP uses his salary, no MP in Kenya earns anywhere near that amount. To put it in perspective, an MP earning around Ksh 1 million would take more than a year to save that amount, assuming they spent nothing on personal expenses.
From my point of view, this money likely comes from taxpayers—the funds that his constituents have entrusted to him for development, including through the CDF (Constituency Development Fund).
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| A school in Emurua Dikirr Constituency PSC: Benard Korir Facebook. |
Meanwhile, in Ngong's constituency, residents are reported to be crying out about the lack of development in the area, saying the MP has neglected them entirely and his whereabouts are unknown. Many also complain about poor roads and insecurity issues.
