Mali Safi hit song maker Millicent Jerotich performs at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on 25 January.
Sometimes she asks herself why she ventured into music against the wishes of her father, who wanted her to pursue another path away from music.
Since she earned a household name in November 2023, the renowned Kenyan artist Millicent Jerotich, 36, popularly known as Marakwet Daughter, has not known peace.
Divulging that although she was enthused over the fame generated by the Mali Safi hit song that propelled her to the limelight, her sudden happiness only lasted for two weeks.
Since then, she has been looking over her shoulders in fear of imminent attacks from known and unknown adversaries.
“I rarely get out of my house like before or even update my fans on upcoming events, lest I expose myself to attackers,” she reveals. “I have been trolled online since November last year; my inbox has numerous death threats.”
Speaking to the Nation via telephone, Ms Jerotich fears for her life because, on numerous occasions, she has had to report to police stations, but she says that she has not received assistance yet.
“I had to take on online trolls head-on after the police failed to respond to my request for protection,” the displeased musician complained. “My father calls me countless times a day to find out if I am okay.”
The singer shared one of the life-threatening messages: “Delete the video with immediate effect before severe action is taken against you.”
This particular social media user was sending this message to Ms Jerotich, directing her to pull down a video song titled Konech Kalya (Kikwangwanga) that is uploaded on the video streaming site YouTube.
Praying for peace
In this song, it is understood that Marakwet Daughter is not only praying for peace between clashing pastoral communities from the different Kalenjin dialects but also the entire county. But the song is a source of animosity between her and her ‘fans.’
‘Rest in peace’ messages are among other threatening responses she has received.
She has filed a report with Iten Police Station under the Occurrence Book Number 20/12/04/23.
“A section of the people who are threatening me claim that our community killed members of theirs during cattle rustling escapades,” she reveals.
15 years of singing, then boom . . .
It took 15 years for Marakwet Daughter’s effort towards penetrating the music scene to bear fruit. She sang over 500 songs but was only known at home by a handful of fans.
As soon as she released the song dubbed ‘Mali Safi Chito,’ the little-known songbird was amused by the reception in Kenya and beyond.
The sing-along song, which boasts of over 12 million views on YouTube, has become a symbol of cultural pride and identity for the Marakwet community. It is cherished by many Kenyans for its cultural significance and catchy melody.
It was something she had been eyeing since joining music, but she was not ready for what befell her.
The Mali Safi Chito singer was among the top earners, netting not less than Sh100,000 from the recent payout of royalties distributed by the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).
She has since produced more songs that are performing better than the ones released before her fame.
They include: No giving up, Hapana taka, Promise keeper, Run your race and Sonko teta.
“This fame has brought a lot of trouble to my life, as I am not assured of my safety,” she says. “In the last two weeks, I have been threatened twice, where one of the trolls said, ‘I have been paid to finish you, but if you don’t give me something, I will take the next action.’”
“These days, I limit my movements and cut off some friends. I never even imagined that people won't be happy when I am excelling.” Ms Jerotich adds.
