Kenyan Nairobi Governor HE Sakaja Johnson met with the popular hip-hop music group Kalamashaka on Monday to discuss mentorship in the music industry and the rehabilitation of youth from drugs and alcohol.
There has been increased substance abuse by youth in various parts of the county, including Dandora, where the group originally came from. The reason why Governor Sakaja met the team was so that he could talk with them and see if they could find a way to rightfully guide the youths to keep off drugs and other hard substances.
“Music is a huge influence on our society, and sometimes it can be a negative one. And with your experience, we have to guide and mentor our young artists to get positive content that will positively influence the listeners,” said Governor Sakaja.
The governor agreed to work with the group to come up with partnerships to create awareness of drug abuse among youths and mentorship programs for young artists.
Present in the meeting were Kama (Kamau Ngigi), Roba, the Otelo (Robert Matumbai), and Johny Vigeti, led by their manager, Joseck Asikoye. On Friday, March 8, 2024, the group joined the governor during the opening of the Dandora Stadium, their home ground. During the opening, they said, “Our talent started here. This is a good place, ‘referring to the stadium, to bring the youth who have entered into crime back into the community. This stadium is a good alternative for them, an opportunity for them to make some money and change their lives. This is a good thing the governor is doing.” The Dandora-based music group was formed in the mid-1990s, and in 2023, they were feted with a lifetime achievement award during the 50th Hip Hop Anniversary for pioneering hip hop in the region.
The governor believes that distracting the youths from doing something can really help in curbing them from joining bad company and starting to abuse drugs. He believes that the root of all this comes from idleness, which is why he is trying to introduce something new so that the youths can get up and fend for themselves as well as keep themselves busy.
