Singer and comedian Alvan Gatitu was locked out of his house and slept out in the cold over rent arrears, which he could not raise due to the adverse effects of covid-19 on businesses.
In a video he has shared online narrating what he has been going through, the former Tusker Project Fame contestant said that at the time of recording the video, he had just woken up from sleeping in a guard’s booth.
“So covid-19 imeaffect watu wengi in various ways kuna wenye wamekuwa wagonjwa and those ones who their livelihoods have been affected. I’m here to attest to the second part where your live hood has been affected. The reason why I’m on the street right now recording at 5.30 in the morning is because I just woke up. I slept in a guard’s booth hapa Riara kwa sababu nilifungiwa nyumba,” he said.
He mentioned that he had not paid rent for a couple of months until yesterday when he returned home, only to find his house and gate locked from the inside.
According to Alvan, he tried calling his landlady and landlord, but the calls went unanswered and he had to look for a place to spend the night because it was already 6.30 pm.
“My land lady and landlord waliamua wako na shida zao na mimi nikaenda zangu so mimi nililala nje. Please note that as this was happening nilikuwa nimekatiwa maji na stima for one and a half weeks. Just trying to make ends meet zimekataa because livelihood ya watu wengi imekuwa affected and business wasn’t working,” he said.
Mr. Gatitu said he tried reaching out to two of his closest friends but they still couldn’t host him. Another friend he thought would help him told her guards not to let him in, as soon as he arrived.
“I came as soon as I got to her gate, akaambia guards wasikubali niingie and when I explained to the guards what was going on they gave me a place to sleep. A karoom where they put their shoes and uniforms,” he narrated.
In the video, he goes ahead to encourage people going through various challenges not to give up because such things happen.
Here is the full video