Renowned American comedian Dave Chappelle recently performed a two-hour stand-up show at the Louis Leakey Auditorium in Nairobi, captivating the audience with his unique humor.
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However, Chappelle’s visit sparked discussions about why he didn’t engage with the Kenyan government, unlike his visit to Rwanda where he met with the president.
Comedian Timothy Kimani, popularly known as Njugush, shared his thoughts on the matter in an interview with Nairobi News. He explained that the politics of event planning often dictate such interactions.
“With every establishment comes the right to host. The right to admit always comes with whoever is planning an event. If I decide that you are not going to be at TTNT, you are not going to be admitted. When Chappelle says he only wants a certain number of people, it means they are doing something right. That is why they were chosen over everyone else,” Njugush said.
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When Njugush and Wakavinye reveal their new minibus, Tugi, Abel Mutua and the crowd respond.
Chappelle’s performance in Nairobi adhered to his famous ‘no phone’ rule, meaning no smartphones were allowed in the auditorium. Tickets for the sold-out event cost Sh7,000, and attendees were not allowed to share their experiences until after the show. This policy, while typical for Chappelle, left many Kenyans curious about the rationale behind it.
Reflecting on the wider implications, Njugush expressed concern about how Kenya handles potential investments and engagements with international figures.
“My main issue is how we do things as a country because if you look at what happened in Rwanda, Chappelle went there and he met the president and they talked. In Kenya, even his arrival was not announced. That tells you something about us as a country. Let alone content creation. There are times when people want to invest here but they are not allowed. They end up running away and investing in another country. My main concern is how we as a country deal with potential investments,” Njugush noted.
Njugush claimed that if the Kenyan entertainment industry had wanted to arrange a meeting with Chappelle, it could have been done. He also urged Kenyans to temper their expectations about Chappelle’s motives for the visit.
“The worst mistake Kenyans should make is to think that Chappelle is coming to Kenya to support them. All they can do is borrow his ideas, the way he does his scripts, and what he stands for,” Njugush advised.
Chappelle will visit Kenya again in November.
