Go Gaga EXP is calling for nominations of outstanding women in the community for the upcoming fourth edition of the Zuri Awards. 

The awards held annually seek to recognize and celebrate outstanding women at the community levels. This year’s theme is “An equal world is an enabled world” and is in line with this year’s theme for International Women Day.

The various categories up for nomination include - STEM, Public Service, Agriculture, Arts & Culture, Healthcare, Media, Renewable Energy, Finance, Humanitarian, Manufacturing, Innovation, Education, Young Achiever and Sports.

Nominations can be done via their website:  zuriawards.gogagaexp.com and will close on the 31st January 2020.

Selected nominees in the various categories will be involved in a series of awareness activities- photography and video sessions, public exhibition of their work, digital storytelling and to highlight their works and stories in the media.

“There are so many women impacting lives in the community but do not get any recognition because they are not big enough or known,” said Muthoni Mumo, Co-founder of Zuri Awards. “Zuri Awards encourages the unsung women in the community to share what they are doing to change their communities with the little they have.”

Since its inception three years ago, the awards have recognized and celebrated outstanding women in line with the International Women’s Day theme every year. Zuri Awards has experienced immense growth from 4 categories at the 1st inaugural edition to a total of 15 in the past 2 years.

The awards have led to a positive publicity of the nominees and honorees in their respective sphere of influence hence enhancing the expansion of their projects and their exceptional competencies.

Some of the honorees have made strides in their undertakings with three of past nominees and honorees being featured in the Ms. President reality show last year and winning awards- Buya Mukonzo - 2017 My Little Big Thing Winner, Fatuma Abdikadir Adan - HODI took a team to World Cup 2018 in Russia, Dr. Chao Mbogo – Founder of KamiLimu & 2018 Face of Science Kenya, Caroline Wanjiku of HELD Sister Foundation & Umulkheir Mohammed founder of Kesho Alliance - Ms. President Reality show.

Zuri Awards has attracted some of the most prolific individuals in the society in the previous years and is sponsored and curated by Go Gaga Experiential Ltd.  

Some of the past sponsors and partners include Barclays Bank of Kenya (ABSA), Safaricom, KCB, Brighter Monday, EABL – Baileys Brand, Royal Media Services as the official media partners and the Ministry of Public Service and Gender.

Kassa money is the manifesto for the hustle in the year 2020. 

2020 is a year of reaping and through the song the artistes want to encourage the go getters not to lose hope but to keep on fighting and work towards achieving their dreams.  

The message is that all dreams are valid, no matter where you are from! .The song is not only meant to inspire but prove that all things that we think of and work on are achievable.

The bottom line is that money is just energy; it always moves, so one should not get hung up about the present situation. 

Watch 'Kassa Money' on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DXDmp2ywD8g

Fast-rising Kenyan female sensation The Only Rosa has dropped her new single “Popping”.

The audio was produced by Kaki, while the video was shot in London courtesy of Ballantines and directed  by Jordan Gomez.

Popping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_qVALGXkKI

“Popping” is a tribute to the discovery of her true passion in being a creative and the struggles experienced throughout her journey to becoming the artist she is now.

Since coming to the limelight few years ago, Rosa’s musical career has been on an upward trajectory that has seen her collaborate with local stars – Naiboi, Kidis and Steph Kapela. She has also shared the stage with International acts– Nasty C, Konshens, Burna Boy and a studio session with the award winning Mr. Eazi.

Inside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctrYkrnDMNY

The Ballantine’s’ True Music winner 2019, took a one year break off music to focus on her studies in the UK,  and  is back with a bang and promises her fans more music this 2020.

“This year, I am focusing on creating musical experiences for both myself and my fans.” she noted.

The new single is available on ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS including Boomplay, Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon.

The Only Rosa continues to push creative boundaries, expanding her influence and impact beyond music. 

About Only Rosa

TheOnlyRosa aka Rosalie Akinyi is a Kenyan based singer/songwriter.

From an early age, she had an affinity for music and at 14, her passion for music led her to the guitar and drums. Five years later, the budding artist recorded her first song with the popular producer; Big Soul.

In 2013, her career took off as the opening act during Naija Night on a list that featured Burna Boy and other celebrated names in the industry. This soulful sound opened this thrilling chapter with Flag42.

She dropped her first hit single, ‘Niguse’ which topped download charts in the country and was featured in multiple international music blogs including those in the U.K and Nigeria. Her music is a sensual blend of Pop and RnB with a dash of dancehall. With a husky voice and looks to kill, the multi-talented artist has a unique act whose versatile sound flows seamlessly across genres.

In 2014, she released her first video for her highly anticipated single ’Chunyi’, followed by ‘Zungusha’, produced by Robert Kamanzi (RKay) in 2015. Rosa ruled the airwaves following her amazing rendition of Sauti Sol's "Nishike" in 2016 before releasing her debut 12-track album "Original Copy" which showcased her growth in vocal capability and style diversity.  

2018 saw her solidify her brand as the most sought after Urban-pop artist in Kenya after multiple celebrated performances and the release of ‘InSide’ featuring Naiboi and later “Ride”. The year marked her performances alongside Nasty-C at the Kaya event and then at the all-female concert, Colour Purple, and she later received a public request from Mr. Eazi for a studio session.

She says, "It's very exciting to be such a defined brand and to share that with fans.”

In 2019, she took a yearlong break from music to complete her masters degree and her return was marked by her performance alongside Konshens at the Hype Festival and the release of her Trap inspired collaboration, ‘Show Off’ featuring Steph Kapela which showcases her diversity and expresses the great sense of achievement she feels in her journey back to music.

During this period, she participated in Ballantines’ True Music competition which saw her emerge the winner in Kenya and was awarded a music video shot in London which is now the new release, ‘Popping’. The song is a tribute to the discovery of her true passion in being a creative and the struggles that accompanied her journey to becoming the artist she is now.

By Francis Ontomwa,

A good man has left us. Former judge of the Court of Appeal Justice (Rtd) Daniel Kennedy Sultan Aganyanya breathed his last on Friday, 17^th January, just a fortnight away from his 82^nd birthday.

To those who knew him, Justice Aganyanya was a man of few words, a kind soul, and a lover of humanity.

He spent half his adult life dispensing justice. Born from a poor background in a small village called Kisasi in Tiriki land, Aganyanya refused to let his physical challenges stop him from advancing to the highest levels of the Kenyan judiciary.

I first met the late Justice Aganyanya five years ago at his Cheptulu home in Vihiga, then as a rookie reporter, just from college. Local journalists had been invited to cover his book launch, ‘The Judicial Purge 2003 that never was’. And as you would expect it, at the launch, there was no fanfare, no hype, but a clique of journalists and a man ready to pour out his heart.

Indeed, today, I have lost memory of most of the things he said during that event, but not this one.

“The world would be a better place for all of us if only everyone said no to corruption" "Do not eat twice," he remarked. “Do not ask for something extra on top of what is legally yours."

And this is precisely what Justice Aganyanya explores at length in his 55-page book ‘The Judicial Purge 2003 that never was’. The chronicles of a man sacrificed on the very altar of fighting graft.

Even way before the formation of the Ringera commission that was tasked to clean Kenya’s judiciary, Justice Aganyanya had already gone public about the rot in the judiciary.

He wanted someone to crack the whip. And he knew how, he approached three different chief justices of his time to discuss how to end corruption within the judiciary, sadly as he recounts in the book, his efforts went west.

To his shocker, however, it would turn out that he had just backed up the wrong horse! Instead, he was branded a black sheep by the cartels who wanted him hounded out of the corridors of justice.

In one of the chapters in the book Aganyanya posits how he came to learn of his name in the Ringera list.

“I looked quite foolish when I came to learn that my name was on the list of corrupt judges through an announcement on the radio and televisions."

Justice Aganyanya, however, refused to go down without putting up a spirited fight. He knew he was innocent.

For almost a year, Justice Aganyanya religiously appeared before the tribunal, which was headed by retired Chief Justice Majid Cockar. 

The tribunal dismissed all the 11 charges filed against Justice Aganyanya. His accusations were found baseless, hearsays and rumors!

Unlike some of his colleagues who cringed and walked away from the harsh indictment by the Ringera report, Justice Aganyanya was determined to face the bull by its horns!

Today, he is no more, he has finished his race, but the fight is far from over! Corruption is still rife in our lives, not just in the judiciary but in all other arms of government. Deeply entrenched!

Such incredible lessons from Aganyanya’s trodden path in the judiciary.

He came out of the judicial service on 1^st February 2012 after attaining the mandatory age of 74.

He served in the Court of Appeal for four years, High court for over 20 years, and several years as a magistrate. He remained faithful to the course even when junior judges came and bypassed him in the hierarchy.

He spoke truth to power from his vantage point of knowledge and wisdom. He wanted a world that would allow every child to dream and achieve their ambitions. A world that would not despise the physically challenged but support them!

Throughout his tenure on the bench, Justice Aganyanya endeavored to help the less fortunate and to train those who cared to follow his footsteps.

His tormentors got it all wrong!

In the sands of our time, Justice Aganyanya has left an indelible mark! Let us not cry for him but instead let’s cry for ourselves, let’s shed tears every time it hits us that we have moved away from the ethos espoused by Justice Aganyanya! We must never allow the good jurist to turn in his grave! Fare thee well fighter! Adieu Justice Aganyanya!

The writer is a Broadcast Journalist at BBC Africa.

International DJ, producer & promoter Fully Focus just released a new single to kick off 2020! Dubbed RUSH (Unani), the all East-African collabo features three music heavyweights; Nyashinski (Kenya), Fik Fameica (Uganda) & Vanessa Mdee (Tanzania).

RUSH is co-produced by Focus alongside Uganda’s hit maker Nessim & brings a new and different sound to the scene. A blend of the artists’ unique musical styles, the catchy banger is an up-tempo jam about the tingly feeling you get when you’re with that special someone.

RUSH (Lyric Video) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb6nDQMQfEE

Speaking on the release, Focus says, “I spent the last decade curating & breaking African music to the world. Now I’m spending the next decade also making it. I hope Kenya & East Africa can finally get the shine they deserve on the global music scene with the music project I am doing, hence the need to unite the region.”

Adding, “It’s a numbers game & we’re far outweighed by West Africa, so we have to play it smart to be able to win; strength by numbers is the only way in my opinion”.

Following this release, Focus is now working on releasing more new singles in 2020. Having moved to Kenya a year ago, he has remained on top of his game having released an Afrobeats mixtape with international group Major Lazer.

He also launched his monthly event & annual conference ‘Passport Experience’ which brought Netflix & Roc Nation to Kenya. In 2019, he headlined an African Tour with shows in Ghana, Angola, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania & Burundi.

The Real Labour of Love Tour by legendary award winning British band and one of the most successful reggae acts of all time, UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, will be coming to Kenya on the 1st of February, 2020 at Carnivore Gardens.

Speaking on their upcoming show, the duo said, “Our Kenyan fans should expect nothing short of a good time from us. We promise to make the Valentine’s month worth every penny. We are looking forward to entertaining our fans doing what we love best, and have been doing for the last 40 years.”

Ali Campbell and Astro enjoyed massive success from live touring gigs and even recorded music over the last five years, including top ten albums, Silhouette and Unplugged.

UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro in 2018 reached number two in the charts with their critically acclaimed A Real Labour of Love – that inspired their worldwide tour that has seen performances in Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii before UK and Europe.

The duo will perform alongside Nairobi's hottest funk soul band – The Beathogs, among other local acts and legendary DJs  to be confirmed in due course.

The legends are both part of the founding members of the UB40, the award winning British Band, and have sold over 70 million records internationally throughout their 40+ year-long career.

The two will be jetting into the country later this month ahead of their much anticipated show slated for 1st of February 2020.

Tickets are available at www.ticketsasa.com and www.mtickets.com. There will be no regular tickets as the event seeks to give the fans a VIP experience with rates ranging from Regular Kshs 5,000, VIP Kshs 10,000 and VVIP Kshs 20,000.

The concert is brought to you by The Academy of Dance and Arts and is proudly sponsored by Citizen, Hot96fm, Ole-Sereni, Ministry of Sports and Culture, Ngoma Tucheze, Carnivore, G4S, Venture Risk Management, DSL, RFH, Mtickets, Ticketsasa, Myuzik, The Beathogs, among others.

Kenyan singer and Diamond Platnumz girlfriend Tanasha Donna released her first song 'La Vie' off her upcoming EP 'Donna Tella' on Monday.

She has featured Mbosso in the love ballad.

In the song Tanasha sings in three different languages English, Swahili and French while Mbosso expresses himself in Swahili.

In the video Mbosso plays alongside a different vixen and not Tanasha as many would expect.

Well, Mbosso has come out to explain why they had to use another video vixen and not Tanasha.

Through a humorous post in his instagram page, Mbosso posted 'Sheria namba 1 kutoka kifungu cha kifamilia 'SHEMEJI AGUSWI WALA HAPAPASWI, itifaki imezingatiwa 'Rule number 1 from the value vaues is never play around or get intimate with your in- law. Protocol considered"

Mbosso is a member of the WCB family which is being headed by Diamond Platnumz who also happens to be the boss.

The post by Mbosso prompted Diamond to respond.

He jokingly commented 'Fala wewe(You are a fool)"

http://ommydalla.co.ke/buzz/item/1376-tanasha-releases-first-song-off-her-upcoming-ep-donna-tella-features-mbosso

President Uhuru Kenyatta has officially banished the collection of artist royalties by CMOs Skiza tune and Viusasa deaming it an exploitation of the artists.