A section of artistes from the Mount Kenya region who were at the forefront during President William Ruto’s campaigns now claim they have not been paid, more than two years down the line.
The artistes, mostly masters of ceremony who were hired to popularise Ruto in the Mountain region claim they were promised goodies to be given afterwards but the wait is still on.
Popular MC Ngaruiya Junior was one of the artistes. He has now come out to explain to his followers that he is not a State officer as being perceived.
“During the campaigns, I used to get such gigs and could make up to Sh50,000 per show. There was also a job promise since mine was unwavering support for Ruto’s candidature. I have since realised that I was used and dumped,” Ngaruiya said .
“We spent a lot of time on campaign trucks risking all we had, including our reputation. Most of the time, we went home hungry and often late optimistic that our fortunes will look up afterwards but nothing has yielded,” Ngaruiya said.
Today he says he feels wasted, there have no jobs and everyone seems to have gone their way after the hotly contested elections.
Despite gaining popularity two years ago, the artist argues that he has gone back to being a wedding and dowry master of ceremony and part time singer. Sadly, some people still believe that he works for the government and has a palatial office.
He, however, claims he had been promised an office in State House and another one at Harambee House. This, he says, has remained a pipedream.
Meanwhile, in an online interview recently, Ngaruiya claims he went to an extent of fueling his own car in the campaigns and relates how those who were opposed to UDA tried to woo him but he stood the ground citing loyalty and optimism to be rewarded afterwards.
Muigai Njoroge, a popular gospel musician and who was appointed as board member of the government institutions has also expressed his dissatisfaction with the way things went after the new government settled.
Muigai claims he was short changed and that his expectations were not met even as he pulled his best to woo voters in the Mountain region.
“No change has come out either for me or for the members of the public. I was appointed as member and there is nothing to take home there. It is a place where people meet twice or thrice a year. I had to go back to my usual work,” Muigai said.
