Consumers Federation of Kenya Threatens to Sue Boyz II Men Concert Organizers

The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has threatened to sue the organizers of the Stanbic Yetu Festival for flying in popular American boy band Boyz II Men for a concert at Uhuru Gardens on Saturday night.

COFEK said it had received numerous complaints about the concert where revellers were charged Sh30,000 for VVIP, Sh15,000 for VIP and Sh8,000 for regular tickets.

Following the much-hyped and eagerly awaited concert, complaints started pouring in online during and after Boys II Men’s performance.

Revellers complained of overcrowding, poor sound quality, screens that didn’t work for revellers who couldn’t see the stage and poor facilities at the venue, which was set up with too few tents, food stalls and washrooms.

COFEK Programme Officer Ms Caroline Njue said they had received 419 complaints in less than 24 hours by Tuesday afternoon, 374 of which were emails, while 35 were phone calls and 10 were text messages.

“We have also seen a confession statement from Radio Africa Events. It is not enough to apologise. Article 46(1)(d) of the Constitution requires compensation to victims. We will pursue the consumer complaints in line with the law,” she said.

COFEK also said that it had been threatened by Zuhura Odhiambo, the Chair of the Events Management Association of Kenya (EMAK) Board, on behalf of a government official.

“We also take great exception that one Zuhura Odhiambo reportedly acting on behalf of a leader of one of the arms of government called one of us with threats,” the statement read.

COFEK called on the National Assembly to enact a regulatory mechanism that would hold event organisers accountable.

“We equally urge consumers to exercise extreme discretion before paying for and attending events organised by either questionable or fraudulent organisers,” they added.

Radio Africa Events, the organisers of the concert, have since apologised for the poor organisation of the event.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to our customers. We have taken note of the concerns raised and we are working to address them,” said a statement from the company.

It remains to be seen whether COFEK will go ahead with its threat to sue the organisers of the concert. However, the complaints from consumers and the threats from COFEK have raised questions about the standards of event management in Kenya.