Nairobi,KENYA:One of the musicians behind the controversial Ikamba song that has caused outrage on social media has been released on a sh 1 million bond after appearing before Nairobi principal magistrate Francis Andayi on Monday.
John Gichiri alias Waharaka was charged with 3 counts of ethnic contempt by composing a song meant to create ethnic animosity between the Kamba and Kikuyu communities.
Gichiri denied the charges and was released on a sh 1 million bond , a surety of the same amount or a sh 700,000 cash bail.
The song is said to have castigated the Kitui governor Charity Ngilu over the charcoal ban that saw a lorry ferrying charcoal set ablaze by angry residents in the county.
The song which was released early last week caused outrage among a section of Kenyan over lines such as (You witches, may you die, The mango season is over and you will soon be feasting on termites and birds).“Kambaland is a land of hunger, can we stop buying charcoal and let you starve?”
Gichiri had earlier been arrested by officers of the Directorate of criminal investigations after the National cohesion and integration commission launched investigations into the matter.
However his co-accused Isaiah Ndungu is yet to be arrested and the case is set to be heard on 11th April.
