Why Chris Brown Won’t Perform in Kenya Again

Chris Brown has no interest in performing in Kenya again, regardless of the financial offer.

According to Joy Wachira, Managing Director of Madfun Group—an event production, travel, and ticketing company—Brown declined an opportunity to return to Kenya due to concerns about the country’s event infrastructure.

Speaking to media, Wachira revealed that before securing Afrobeats star Burna Boy for his upcoming Nairobi concert on March 1, they first approached Chris Brown, who immediately turned down the offer.

“It wasn’t even about the money,” Wachira explained. “Chris Brown felt that Kenya lacks the necessary infrastructure to support his kind of show. And honestly, he was right. Look at his recent performance in South Africa—he wants to fly across the arena on stage. Tell me, where in Kenya can he do that? It was a wake-up call that we need to do better.”

Chris Brown’s only performance in Kenya was on October 8, 2016, at the Mombasa Rocks Festival. The show made headlines after reports emerged that he was paid $900,000 (approximately Ksh90 million at the time) for a 90-minute set. Ticket prices were also unprecedentedly high, with regular passes going for Ksh10,000 and VIP tickets at Ksh20,000.

Comparatively, VIP tickets for Burna Boy’s upcoming concert are priced at Ksh65,000. Wachira noted that Brown’s 2016 show in Mombasa was more of a private concert and emphasized that both artists and industry standards have evolved since then.