Publicity scandal? Comedian Chipukeezy put to task over Tamara Risheel interview

Chipukeezy took Tamara on an all-expense paid shopping

If you’re looking for empathy and compassion on a show, you won’t find it on Chipukeezy’s new show. The comedian has been caught up in yet another publicity-related incident that took place over the weekend and early this week.

In yet another classic case of putting himself above his enablers/ guests, the young comedian exclusive interview with Tamara Risheel could best be described as disharmonious.

Tamara first appeared in the public eye last week when photos of her holding a placard claiming to be President Uhuru’s long lost child started making rounds on social media on the eve of April 20.

“I met her after she had just been released from Kilimani Police Station through the intervention of Jaguar. We took her out for lunch and she literally had nowhere else to go. No one had bothered to look for her during that time. She lives in Kawangware with a well-wisher,” explained Chipukeezy when we reached out for comment on the whereabouts of the girl’s parents and if they had asked for permission before she appeared on the show.

When she appeared on the comedian’s show, Tamara was still holding the placard with the words ‘Meet Tamara Risheel, unknown President Uhuru Kenyatta’s daughter, my big dream is to meet my daddy in person for the first time. I love my daddy’ colour-printed on it.’ Presumably to identify her to the public as the lady from social media.

“I am 18 years old, our president Uhuru Kenyatta is not my father by blood, but he is my father by heart. When you love someone, love is natural, for me being a big fan of him nahajui, ilikuwa inaniuma sana,” admitted Tamara on the show.

The host’s comic side came out during the show as she pushed the young girl to sing tune after tune out of the “30,000-strong” catalogue of songs she claims to have so far written. However the host’s opportunity to show compassion to the young girl failed on so many levels.

The girl’s living conditions and parents’ whereabouts did not come up during the show and neither did her arrest ordeal where she spent two days in a police cell. The host, Chipukeezy, instead focused on her motives behind the placard and her ‘singing’.

Tamara did not seem to be in the same planet as the host as the cameras caught her awed and shocked look as the host and guests laughed off her ambitions to be an international celebrity and made jokes in between her explanations.

Starehe MP Charles ‘Jaguar’ Njagua, Mambo Mseto host Willy M Tuva alongside Chipukizeey bailed out Risheel

And Kenyans on social media noted the poor taste of the show’s episode.

“I cringed as I watched every second of this, because it's clear that this woman did not deserve this mockery. When a so called 'comedian' takes a guest on stage and proceeds to ridicule and laugh, in the name of making fun. When did we stop being human? And what does that say about the production team? Is there no due diligence? This is sad and shameful Chipukeezy Vinie, and a very low level to stoop too,” said Naomi Mutua on her social media post.

“I am baffled that you would proudly showcase such an insensitive episode. This girl clearly needs guidance and you guys got her out of her home to publicly display her and make a mockery of her yet she thought she was being given a platform. It's extremely distasteful. What's worse is public figures like Chipukeezy and Kansoul who are grown men, way more experienced and way older, sat there and laughed at her, clearly making her uncomfortable…”, said another social media user Wangari Miringu.

“All what we are trying to do is to help her get help. That was our intention when we brought her out for the show,” explained Chipukeezy.

He added: “I visited where she lives and got to clear rent arrears for her and her well-wisher. Our intentions were pure. Apart from helping her through my foundation I have reached out to the Governor (Sonko) and I’m confident we will get her all the help that she needs to live a better life.

On hosting her without her parents’ consent and online backlash after the interview was uploaded, Chipukeezy denied any wrongdoing and admitted to not finding any wrong on how he handled this particular episode.

“I did not see anything wrong and I have not heard anything wrong from the episode. In fact, this is the first (call) complaint I am receiving,” said Chipukeezy.

This is not the first time Chipukeezy has been caught up in another publicity scandal. Late last year he was forced to apologise to a US-based Kenyan woman who helped him during his US tour but he did not acknowledge during his interviews and instead personalised her as a mysterious well-wishing white woman during his interviews after coming back from the United States.