Easter concerts and a fight

Majembe vs Mbavu Destroyer boxing [Courtesy]

As Kenyans celebrate the Easter weekend, Holy Saturday was a hive of activity in Nairobi, with three crow-puller shows taking place. These are the Shabach Praise Encounter at KICC, Nyashinski's Showman Residency at the Carnivore, and the Majembe vs Mbavu Destroyer boxing showdown at Kasarani.

The Shabach Praise Encounter was the Easter gospel concert to watch, with thousands of fans congregating at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) from early afternoon, and the show lasting until midnight.

A day before the event, the organisers promised a powerhouse gospel show with worship, praise, and divine encounters led by renowned Nigerian worship sensation Ada Ehi. Shabach Ministries International organised it.

Other performers on the lineup included Mercy Masika, Pitson and Karura Voices, Sheila Juma, and Edith Wairimu.

In a press briefing on Friday, Nigerian star and headline act of the show, Ada Ehi, was accompanied by Nairobi Grace Chapel pastor Martin Mwirigi, who assured the faithful of pure and genuine spiritual reckoning.

“There is no greater joy than coming together and giving God’s name praise,” he said.

“Psalms 63:3-7 clearly echoes what will happen on Saturday during the rich spiritual nourishment, our lips shall praise the almighty”.

The international minister and the hit song gospel singer, Ms. Ehi, were equally excited to headline the praise experience.

“Expect the spirit of the lord to come down and uplift all of us. This is a calling, it is bigger than us, God wants his children to worship him, wholeheartedly,” she said.

The 42-year-old, whose soul-stirring vocals and prophetic songs have blessed millions globally, is known for hits like Konko Below, I Testify, and Only Jesus. Her music blends Afro-gospel rhythms and lyrics deep with profound scriptural meanings.

Past editions have drawn thousands of believers, igniting transformations through high-octane worship and life-changing gospel messages and testimonies.

Majembe vs Mbavu Destroyer fight

As this was an uplifting event, was going on another event was also set to take place at night, a few kilometres away at Kasarani Indoor Arena, this time not as 'peaceful'. This was the Vurugu Fight Night, pitting Majembe (Portifas Odipo) against Mbavu Destroyer aka Weka Mawe (real name Ferdinand Omondi), scheduled for 10.30 pm. 

What had started as a social media hype quickly became a national spectacle, drawing in corporates and politicians, including President William Ruto and ODM chairman Oburu Odinga. 

The fight was initially framed by Oga Obina, the event’s mastermind, who first announced Sh1 million as the prize money. By the time of going to press, the stakes exceeded Sh6 million. 

President William Ruto, through Lang’ata MP Jalang’o, gave Sh4 million, splitting Sh1 million for each fighter, while sponsoring 2,000 tickets for fans.

Oburu reportedly gave Sh1 million, and Pastor Dorcas Rigathi purchased 400 tickets worth Sh400,000 for tickets. Others who gave or pledged to the fight include Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri, Oketch Salah, and George Ruto.

Nyashinski's Sh40m Showman Residency

Yesterday also saw Nyashinski set to go live with his Showman Residency at the Carnivore Grounds, starting at 8 pm.

The residency will go on until Sunday, the 12th, with seven shows altogether.

Unlike a traditional concert, the residency is an immersive, multisensory experience, blending music, theatre, dance, acrobatics, and storytelling into a single, cohesive production.

Nyashinski described the show as a vision two decades in the making, designed to bring musical theatre to life for Kenyan audiences in a way they have never seen before.

Modeled on global concert residencies but tailored to local audiences, Showman Residency will feature seven performances over five days, offering both intimate and high-energy experiences.

The concept of the Showman Residency is new, at least to a Kenyan audience, and the show is definitely bigger, especially when it comes with a revolving crew of 120 that includes acrobats, dancers, a choir, and actors with an eye-watering budget of approximately Sh40m.

With no intermissions and a runtime of approximately two hours and forty minutes, the show is designed as a continuous, engaging journey for the audience.

While all the shows follow the same core production, every session carries its own energy, making each experience unique.

“Guests are welcome to attend multiple performances. The production is the same, but each night offers a unique atmosphere and experience,” posted Nyashinski on his official Instagram page.

“Showman is designed as a live experience. We encourage guests to be fully present and experience it in the moment,” he added.

According to Nyashinski, all the elements of the show merge effortlessly from ideas he had written down in a book, which the rapper and crew fondly call the ‘Bible’, where he had written what each episode would be about and what theme he would like to showcase per episode.