Kenya’s new breed of performers: Ndeke, Embarambamba & how they go viral

Ndeke ya Muthanga’s viral performance at the Kitui Mashujaa Day celebrations was more than a national holiday spectacle; it was a potent flashpoint in Kenya’s ongoing culture war over gospel music.

His blend of fervent praise and sheer comic theatrics has placed him firmly among a group of artists including Embarambamba, Justina Syokau, and William Getembe who are rapidly shifting the genre from ministry to sensationalist gospel-tainment.

This movement challenges traditional decorum, delights millions of ordinary Kenyans, and simultaneously draws the sustained ire of moral police.

Here is a recreation of Muthanga's performance by Pulse Influencer Award Winners Huruma kids.

The rise of theatrical evangelism

The common thread uniting Ndeke ya Muthanga with his controversial contemporaries is the belief that high-octane theatrics are necessary to capture the attention of a digital-era audience.

They represent a break from the measured, inspirational style of the past, embracing chaos and spectacle to go viral.

• Ndeke Ya Muthanga: The latest sensation, known for his Kamba gospel and acrobatic stage presence that can bring dignitaries to their feet in laughter. His performance style is a powerful, energetic release that audiences find instantly engaging and relatable.

• Embarambamba: The pioneer of this style, famous for his unpredictable, wild stunts rolling in mud, climbing trees, or jumping on cows all while wearing brightly mismatched suits. He argues his actions are a manifestation of being drunk in the Holy Spirit.

• Justina Syokau: Though less physically outrageous than Ndeke or Embarambamba, she masterfully uses topical, often commercialized gospel music. She goes viral by releasing annual songs (like her famed ‘Twendi Twendi’ hits) or by making highly publicized and extravagant demands for a wealthy husband, blending the search for salvation with a blatant prosperity gospel narrative.

• Pastor William Getembe: He represents the extreme end of the controversy, facing bans for his song "Yesu Ninyandue"  a phrase critics deemed highly blasphemous and vulgar in Sheng and for appearing in a diaper during one video. His actions directly challenge the core morality of the church.

Why the spectacle connects with some Kenyans

The popularity of these artists, despite the controversy, points to a deep craving in Kenyan society that traditional music and church services often fail to satisfy.

• Authenticity and relatability: Their music is seen as raw, unpolished, and rooted in the local ethnic context (like Kamba and Kisii culture). For a youth audience feeling alienated by sophisticated, commercially produced urban gospel, this eccentric style feels genuine and unpretentious.

• The entertainment imperative: In a marketplace flooded with content, sensationalism guarantees visibility. As Embarambamba himself argued, beginning a song with a shocking or suggestive phrase is a necessary business strategy to capture an audience's 'itching ears,' which can later be converted to gospel.

• Escape and laughter: The performances offer a powerful moment of comic relief. Ndeke ya Muthanga’s ability to inject pure, joyful absurdity into a solemn national ceremony like Mashujaa Day demonstrates the public appetite for entertainment that cuts through formality and daily struggles.