Hey ZAlebs! We are so happy you have made it this far, compliments of the New Year to you and yours! No one can deny that 2021 was such a trip for many of us, but here we are, we made it to the other side! The new year definitely kicked off with a wave of positivity and optimism, which is certainly something for us to look forward to. Beginnings often bring the opportunity for both change and reflection so in reflecting on the year that was, here are some of our favorite highs and saddest lows from some of our Kenyan favs that you may have missed.
Musical Milestones
Our favorite International boy band Sauti Sol held the country’s biggest festival of the year. The two day festival was called ‘SolFest’ and tickets for the event sold out way before the scheduled dates. Sauti Sol organized an all Kenyan lineup that performed at the festival. SolFest was also the first time that the boy band were able to perform their album Midnight Train, live on stage in Kenya for a Kenyan audience, so you can only imagine the excitement!
Following the release of her first song, Diana Marua made headlines and became the first Kenyan female rapper to hit 1million views for her hit single Hatutaachana. The media personality just ventured into music so this was a major shock not only to her but fellow industry players as well.
Celebrity Breakups
Breakups are never fun for the people involved, but as cruel as it may sound, the uglier the breakup, the more interesting it is for those of us on the outside. A handful of celebrity couples split up in 2021, but these two were at the top of the list.
Media personalities Michelle Ntalami and Makena Njeri never disappointed when it came to serving up the hottest couple goals. The couple were such a fan favorite because of how loudly they loved up on each other with their heartfelt Instagram posts of and to each other, their vacation and birthday photos and how they showed each other off at every possible opportunity. To top everything off the couple were (or are) proud members of the LGBTQ community and they were not ashamed of it. The end of this love story is one that nobody expected, and Michelle shocked us all when she announced via her social media that they had broken up due to Makena's infidelity.
County Governor Alfred Mutua and his long time girlfriend Lilian Nganga made headlines when they decided to end their long term relationship. The couple dated for several years and Lilian even took up the title of the 1st Lady of Machakos County. However, In August last year she took to her Instagram account to announce their separation. What shocked us more than anything was the governor requesting Lilian for a refund for everything he has ever bought her - NO ONE saw that drama coming.
Rape Allegations
Youtuber and media personality Diana Marua dropped the biggest bomb we could have ever imagined when she came out with sexual assault accusations against Willy Paul, her long time nemesis and fellow musician. Diana posted a video on her YouTube Channel where she detailed the harrowing experience. The video not only broke the internet but it also broke our hearts. The video left many divided and although thousands rallied behind Diana and showed her support there were others who rallied behind Willy and dismissed the claims.
So much happened that we couldn’t capture in this article but you can read more here