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A die-hard supporter of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee government, gospel singer Ben Githae says he will support the presidential candidate Uhuru endorses ahead of the 2022 polls.
The Tano Tena singer, who often gets trolled for campaigning openly for the president, says he has no apology to make to anyone who thinks otherwise adding that his choices are guarded by clear consciousness.
“I saw Kenyans trolling me the other day after I was captured in a picture with the ODM leader Raila Odinga and businessman S K Macharia. Some were saying that I have moved to support ‘Baba’ but what they didn’t know was the context of our meeting. But I am now used to trolls. I have lived with the notion that I can be trolled anytime and even trend for negative reasons so that does not bother me anymore,” he told The Standard.
“When we met Raila and other leaders together with other artistes like Sir James, it was part of our continued push in fighting for the rights of musicians especially on the issue of Skiza revenue share. I am not saying that I won’t support Raila. Because I am a staunch supporter of Uhuru, if he says I support Raila, I will do so,” he remarked.
“If I am your friend, I can’t just wake up one morning and betray you for nothing. Even if people call you a witch and expect me to join you and claim you are a witch and as a friend you have never bewitched me, if they say you are a thief and I have never seen you stealing, I won’t believe them and so I will make my personal choices depending on what I believe and not what people think,” he quipped noting that he has been supporting the ‘Handshake’.
Githae is one of the few artistes who were supporting the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), that, after having sung Jubilee into power. He does not deny the fact that he made a kill out of his campaign slogan song, Tano Tena, that saw him traverse the country selling the Jubilee agenda. Besides, he says that singing is his career and it is what he lives on and when a good opportunity comes knocking, he is not ashamed to run with it.
Terming President Uhuru his personal friend, Githae says there are moments that Uhuru reaches out for him either through his aides or directly adding that there is no moment I ever let the president down. He said that some individuals are not happy about his close relationship with Uhuru.
“It is very hard to call him and it is not even right to think you can call the president on his mobile number anytime. You can text him and he responds. There is no time I have ever needed him that he has not been there for me. The other day I lost my mother and he called me to give his condolences and also directed me to someone for support. Sometimes, when he wants me to go and fulfil a mission, he calls me and I have no obligation but to adhere. That is how tight I am with him,” Githae commented when asked how often he talks with the president.
“If you have talent and can’t make money through it to support your life, then the talent is useless. What is wrong with me making money through my singing talent whether I am singing in crusades or political rallies?” the Tabia Mbaya singer went on.
Ben Githae is among 44 solo artistes who will be entertaining Kenyans during the Mashujaa Day celebrations to be held at Wang’uru stadium in Kirinyaga on Wednesday next week.
