President William Ruto has offered a Ksh 1 million financial boost to popular Kenyan comedy duo Mbavu Destroyer and Majembe, recognizing their viral digital content.

• Ksh 1 million was offered to the comedy duo, known for their "rib-cracking street skits," to professionalize their content.
• The gesture is seen as an endorsement of the administration’s “Talanta Hela” initiative and support for the "hustler" creative economy.
• While celebrated by fans as a success for the creative community, critics questioned whether such "presidential gifts" substitute for structural reforms and institutional funding in the creative sector, particularly amidst austerity measures in other areas.

Former prison officer and human rights activist Jackson Kuria Kihara, known as @cop_shakur, has publicly criticized Kenyan musician Iyanii for performing at President William Ruto’s 2025 Jamhuri Day celebrations. Kuria argued that Iyanii's performance "sanitised a brutal regime" amid recent violence against protestors.

• Kuria accused Iyanii of using his influence to help “sanitise a brutal regime,” specifically referencing the killing of Kenyans.
• He attributes the loss of lives directly to President Ruto, highlighting the ongoing suffering of victims' families.
• Kuria recounted visiting a morgue and witnessing bodies of individuals he claims were killed on state orders, falling into deep depression from state-led violence.

Kenyan musician Nyota Ndogo, celebrating 25 years in the music industry, has revealed her extensive business empire built through disciplined investment of her music earnings. She advises upcoming artists that while fame fades, tangible assets like land endure.

• Nyota Ndogo owns nine properties, including homes and a hotel, through strategic investment.
• The Watu na Viatu hitmaker emphasized long-term planning, crediting her success to investing in assets like her main residence, a tuk-tuk, and five motorbikes.
• Her motivation stems from her musician father's financial struggles and a desire to avoid a similar fate, making housing her top priority.