UK-based Kenyan Comedian Najmbi McGrath has labeled damming allegations against Mwalimu Churchill days after she was booed off stage during the July 27, Laugh Festival at KICC.
She was booed off stage at Africa's Laugh Festival at KICC
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In a long Facebook post McGrath disclosed that she was mistreated and underpaid with her accommodation in Nairobi not catered for.
Njambi's allegations
“By midnight I was dying of hunger and thirst but still no one offered me anything to eat or drink. Frustrated I went to Churchill and asked him upfront when I was going on stage because I was getting very tired and hungry and he replied soon. I went back, sat and waited. At 1 am, I was assured I would be next so waited by the stage door but was pushed out of the way to make way for African drummers who spent half an hour drumming presumably to wake the exhausted people up. By half one I was now quite angry! Churchill went on stage and did 20 minutes of singing nursery rhymes which seemed to liven the audience, I guess drunk people enjoy a sing-a-long.
No one had offered me a drink of water or even a snack. Still. But I know things are tough in Kenya! But surely a drink of water. It was almost 2 am when I was brought on stage and Churchill asked everyone to stand up and give me a standing ovation(puzzling and awkward) but fair enough, I have never had 3,000 people stand up for me so it was great! I felt like the queen. I looked across and I could see my relatives were asleep and I was quite envious of them. On stage I did 2 minutes and it was like interrupting people in a bar to tell them jokes about slave trade. It was very noisy and extremely chaotic. I asked the audience if they wanted me to carry on and the rowdy drunks yelled no!” reads Part of Njambi's post.
The comedian added that the worst part of the show was when MC Jesse disrespected her by performing a lurid dance on her in front of her mother and daughter.
The worst thing
“The feeling was mutual! The worst thing was how MC Jesse felt he could disrespect me by performing a lurid dance with me in front of my mother and daughters pushing himself on me. I was livid! Back stage a bizarre looking man came to me and told me he was a journalist and that he was sorry by the low standards of the show and that he would like to interview me. I told him I was too exhausted but none the less the asked for selfies and video asked me to say 'Wanyonez or something' to which someone said was very rude. Unsurprisingly, he wrote an article which I haven't read yet as I haven't had a chance but some fans have already tagged me on it. This is not how you run a comedy show. I love Kenya, Kenyans! Stay well. And yes they refused to pay for my accommodation and shortchanged my fee!”
Dismissed Njambi's claims
In a quick rejoinder, Laugh Industry head of communications Ken Waudo dismissed Njambi's claims saying her fee was fully paid.
"You (Njambi) indicated you were with your family which was not part of what we were to take care of. We had sponsorship from Panari Hotel and you were part of the comedians who were to be accommodated but you declined while the rest of us spent there. Actually we should be the ones to protest since you gave a substandard show and we paid you full amount," said Ken Waudo.