Cyrus Koech: The controversial Kalenjin crooner causing ripples
Musician Cyrus Koech.
A story is told of arguably the most profane Kalenjin musician, Cyrus Koech, who is also so honest to the point of telling on his mother.
He is reported to have started his musical career on a high note spirituality in 2018, before he went secular.
A Kalenjin music researcher, Ben Kipronoh, says Koech could be a superstar, whether in gospel or secular music, only if he could check his vindictiveness.
Koech used the pulpit to make his entry into the gospel industry in 2019 before he rebelled in 2020, and by 2021, he had immersed himself wholly in secular music.
As his parting shot to the forces he claimed pushed him out of the gospel music industry, he released a song that dismissed them, calling them names.
When he fell out with his wife mid last year, he sang two songs, one dismissing her as Jezebel and the other announcing “I will marry another wife to replace you”.
Koech had expressed support for Dr William Ruto's presidential bid.
When Dr Ruto emerged victorious in the August 9 General Election, Koech released a song; “Raila Odinga falls in tears”.
Kalenjin musician Cyrus Koech.
His style of music has won him accolades and subscription by so-called rebels.
“He is a musician who, even when he sang gospel songs, bewildered both fans and critics by releasing a song that was full of terrible insults against his critics,” Kipronoh wrote on July 30, 2020.
Kipronoh interprets the song as one that dismisses his critics as an outdated App full of viruses that needs to be cleaned.
“He also claimed that there were people who were backstabbing him on allegations that he had joined Illuminati. He challenged those behind the rumours to come out and state if their fathers were the managers in Illuminati or if their mothers were married there,” Kipronoh wrote.
The song was recorded at DJ Wesoo Studio, popular with Kalenjin secular musicians, even though Koech released it as a gospel song.
It was perhaps an indication that Koech was about to abandon gospel in favour of “worldly” beats.
Koech now says: “They annoyed me by not realising that I was also a human being prone to hurt by their lies, which they spread against me on social media.”
“I have since prayed for forgiveness, repented and embraced inner peace that respects all.”
Gospel music
After that track, however, he did not get back to gospel music, but started releasing secular hits.
He is famed for tracks like “Kiasoman”, “Janoo”, “Boroindo”, “Kongoi Werinyon”, “Chomiobility”, “Wendi Kosarta”, “Chomiet”, “Chepkisas”, “Bunyot” and “Kimuitechin”.
Koech was engaged in a social media tiff in November 2022 with Shady Kanyoret.
Koech had posted that "this Methuselah wants to steal my wife" forcing Kanyoret to clarify.
“Let me clear the air ... My attention has been drawn to social media fake news reporting that I took the wife of Cyrus Koech. It is rumours. We met with Milka (Koech) ... we shook hands and later made a TikTok challenge with her,” Kanyoret wrote.
He added that he posted the challenge video on his TikTok account.
“The challenge went viral and people started reposting it with caption hii imeenda (it’s gone). After a short while the viral video reached Cyrus Koech who, without confirming the said rumours, started insulting me.
