Tony Otieno (Kantel) (left) and Allan Emojo (Manna Zzogo) members of the Wadagliz music group of the hit song Anguka Nayo on July 30, 2024.
Gen Z sensation Wadagliz, a rap duo made up of Allan Mojo, also known as Manazz, and Tony Otieno, aka Kantel, has appealed to their fans ‘to stop being too political’ after they came under fire following their performance at Mashujaa Day celebrations on Sunday in Kwale County.
The two, known for their hit song Anguka Nayo boasts over 7.9 million YouTube views, found themselves at the centre of criticism for what some fans have termed ‘betrayal’.
"We went to perform because they needed us to do it on Mashujaa Day for entertainment, but we are not tied to any political thing," the Wadagliz manager, Sam Michaka, told Nation in response to the online backlash.
Anguka Nayo became a symbol of Gen Z frustrations during a period of heightened tensions between the Kenyan youth and the ruling Kenya Kwanza government mid this year.
President William Ruto and senior government officials excitedly grooved to the Wadagliz’s hit song during the national day marked in Kwale County.
Other politicians seated at the dais, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad also joined in.
However, some fans were disappointed by the duo's decision to perform the popular track at a government event.
The backlash was swift on YouTube, with users flooding the song’s comments section to express their frustrations.
"Traitors!! Hustle zingine zii," wrote one user, @charlesmacharia8017. Another, @justlimo6944, commented, "Sasa ju mumeamua kusaidia huyo jamaa (President Ruto) hii ndo mara ya mwisho tutaskia ngoma yenu I hope mumekula fitty."
Despite the criticism, some fans came to their defence.
"Ata kama awa wasee wali benefit sana from viewership ya GenZ, tusikue too tough on them," wrote @DM-ox6sh.
"Hii ngoma ni banger na tuliitumia symbolically. Haina ata any political consciousness."
Mr Michaka emphasised that the group does not associate with any political agenda.
"People are trying to use it for their political purposes. But if you look at the artists themselves, they are not in any way political. We don't have a problem with anyone and we will do our job. If people love us, they will love us. If they don't like us, that's their problem."
Mr Michaka said they were paid for their performance.
"Everything was taken care of, but we are not tied to any person in the government. People are just using it for political purposes,” he said
Asked how much they were paid, Mr Michaka said they signed a non-disclosure agreement.
"We were treated the same way like other artistes,” Mr Michaka said.
He also dispelled rumours that the group had met with the President, saying they left the event shortly after their performance and returned to Nairobi.
Despite the backlash, the manager said the duo is focused on their music career. He teased a new release set to drop soon.
"As much as we contributed to the revolution, we are still artists. We are young artists hustling in town like all other artistes. We didn’t betray anyone. We are just Kenyans who sang a song that people loved,” Mr Michaka said.
During that season, it resonated, but we are not political figures."
In a previous interview with Nation, Kantel clarified that the song was meant to be a party anthem, not a political statement.
"This song was meant to be a party anthem, something just to vibe to and have a good time. Mojo and I contributed to the idea, and we were thrilled to see people connecting with our energy, which is why they are jamming to it now. Although we have only been making music for two years, we never imagined we would reach this point, especially after being so broke."
