Kakamega County government on Tuesday denied reports that it had set aside Sh23 million to pay a renowned Congolese soukus cum rhumba star Koffi Olomide, who is set to perform during the Devolution Conference.
Speaking to exclusively on phone, Mr Dickson Rayori, the Communications Director, explained of a budget to have the musician perform at the event, but denied claims that it was to be footed by the County government.
He instead maintained that the county had only set aside a lump sum of cash to be used for refurbishing Kakamega Town, including street lighting and hotels which he said guests would book for stay.
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“I can confirm that the steering committee planning the conference has been in talks with the governor’s office, but not on the alleged Sh23 million for Kofi. The county did not invite the musician, so we are not planning to pay for that service,” Mr Rayori said on phone.
He added: "Neither the Council of Governors nor the County is involved in the planning. What we know is that Koffi's promoters would collect the money at the entry at the performance venue, which has been provided by the county anyway. So it is the promoters who will make up for the Sh23 million, not us."
The confirmation follows a section of media reports which contended that the musician would take home Sh23 million for the performance slated for next week.
Reports further had emerged that the flamboyant Lingala agreed to fly to Kenya to perform at the Devolution Conference after sealing the mouthwatering deal (valued at Sh23 million) with Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
Critics, including former gubernatorial candidate and Ford Kenya deputy party leader Boni Khalwale had demanded answers from the governor of what he termed extravagance expenditure.
“Somebody please reassure us that what is now trending on the weblogs is false. That the guy on the left (Oparanya) paid the one on the right (Koffi) Ksh 23million before the Interior Department declared the molester of women persona non grata,” said Khalwale in a tweet accompanied by a photo of the two.
Mr Koffi was in July 2016 deported aboard Kenya Airways flight KQ554 to Kinshasa after kicking a woman at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
His lawyer, Prof George Wajackoyah, protested saying the musician had been “treated like animals” claiming the Kenya government had deported the musician and his dancers to Congo “even without their passports.”
The musician was arrested at 10 pm along Denis Pritt Road in Nairobi, as he left Citizen TV studios from an interview.
He was arrested alongside his crew of three women dancers, police said. Police stated that the musician had been arrested for creating disturbance at the airport. The Congolese star spent the night at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport police station.
He was removed from the JKIA Police Station on Saturday morning and taken to the airside where his fingerprints were taken before boarding a plane.
Last week Koffi announced via twitter that he would be in Kenya to perform during the council of governors’ devolution conference in Kakamega, slated for between April 23 and April 27, 2018.