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Celebrated spoken word artist Mark Joshua Ouma, popularly known as Tear Drops, recently shared a harrowing tale of how his life took an unexpected turn during a political campaign rally.
This dramatic incident almost cost him his life, a prestigious state performance and a substantial paycheck.
Tear Drops was on the brink of headlining former President Uhuru Kenyatta's final Madaraka Day celebration before leaving office.
He had received a call from State House, undergone auditions, and even inked a performance contract. Everything seemed set for a momentous occasion in his career.
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READ: Poet Tear Drops claims he was attacked by Azimio La Umoja attendees
However, fate had other plans. Tear Drops found himself caught in the chaos of Raila Odinga's campaign rally at Kasarani, where rowdy youth, who were causing chaos in the Azimio campaign entourage, confronted him while on a Boda Boda headed for the auditions.
"I was on a motorbike about to join Thika Highway when we saw armed young men and we tried to pass inside the crowds, but I don't know what happened – we just found ourselves down, and they even stabbed me," Tear Drops said.
The attack left Tear Drops injured, delayed his schedule, and made him late for the crucial rehearsals that would determine his role in the event.
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As a result, he was removed from the top slots of the performance lineup, which would have paid him a substantial Sh200,000. Instead, he was relegated to a different slot that offered him Sh120,000.
"I was removed from the headlining list to the list of performers who performed before the president arrived, yet I was supposed to perform in front of the president," Tear Drops said.
Despite the adversity he faced, Tear Drops remained resilient and focused on delivering a stellar performance. He revealed that the poem he prepared for the event was among the best he had ever written.