Celebrity lookalikes

They say that every individual in the world has a twin. In 2019, there was actress Jackie Matubia and ‘Chokoza’ hitmaker Maria, Oscar Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and pageant queen Gaylene Ayugi, and Former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and activist Grace Elizabeth Mkabili.

The list of doppelgängers did not end there.

Later, in 2022 and 2023, Nduta Mwega rose to prominence for her striking resemblance to American rapper Cardi B. Just like her celebrity look-alike, she released a rap song produced by legendary producer Motif the Don.

Then there was Nigerian Afrobeat star Burna Boy’s look-alike, who steadily gained followers on social media due to their uncanny resemblance.

Kenya also has ‘Rudra Kartel,’ who sings and performs exactly like Jamaican rapper ‘World Boss’ Vybz Kartel. His talent has been appreciated and applauded by many Kenyans. Even ‘World Boss’ Vybz Kartel commented on his trending TikTok video.

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In 2024, there emerged Jason Derulo’s doppelgänger, nicknamed Jason ‘Derural’ by netizens.

Remcy Don is a funny character who resembles Jason Derulo and shares his interest in music. The Kenyan Jason Derulo has also released several tracks such as "Ai we Mama," "Kidosho," "Divana," and "Sura ya Pesa."

Nonetheless, his actions have not been in vain, as American singer Jason Derulo acknowledged his efforts. Remcy excitedly shared a screenshot of a conversation between him and the American sensation on his Instagram page.

The response read, “Thanks for reaching out! That's awesome to hear. Kenya, huh! That's amazing. Keep shining, my doppelgänger from across the globe."

After Tanzanian Bongo star Diamond Platnumz released ‘Komasava’ featuring Jason Derulo, a Kenyan 'Diamond Platnumz' known as Difella Music emerged.

The two made a TikTok video with the hit song 'Komosava' in the background, sparking a tapestry of reactions among netizens. The American star commented on the video, encouraging the duo to continue. The comment read, “You nailed it.”

Lastly, there was 'Ruga wa Kayole,' a doppelgänger of Nigerian Afrobeat hitmaker Ruger.

The man is not only enjoying the fame that comes with Ruger’s reputation but also performs Ruger’s songs at events. His performances caught Ruger’s attention, and he responded in an interview with BBC Entertainment.

“I mean, I’m happy for him, I wish him well. He’s making his money. Everybody must eat because when my people were telling me, ‘Have you seen this?’ I said, ‘No,’ but I think the man’s just trying to hustle, you understand."

"He’s promoting my songs in a way because he’s not making his songs and saying that’s Ruger who made the songs; he’s singing mine. At the end of the day, they’ll go back to their house and stream the songs. That’s the most important thing. I beg, everybody should calm down,” Ruger said.

The highest amount of money he has earned so far is Sh150,000.

The Pulse spoke to some of these celebrity look-alikes and discovered that they share the same challenges.

The main challenge of being a celebrity doppelgänger is people’s perception of you financially. The Kenyan Ruger said, “People seem to think I have money like Ruger.”

This was the same for the other doppelgängers. The Kenyan 'Jason Derulo' said people would hate on him on social media, but he has learned to live with it.

Another challenge is the fear of being sued for impersonation by the celebrities.

The Kenyan Diamond Platnumz and Jason Derulo’s doppelgängers said they stopped using public transport because of the attention they get from fans.