Former gospel artist and Groove Award winner Kevin Kioko Bahati has recently addressed the decline of gospel music in Kenya. Through a series of posts on his Instagram stories, Bahati shared his views on why Kenya, despite its history of producing prominent gospel artists, might struggle to do so in the future compared to a decade ago.
Bahati believes that while Kenya will continue to contribute to the gospel music revival, the country may find it difficult to produce top-tier gospel artists like it did in the past. He attributes this shift to God’s favor moving towards countries like Nigeria and Rwanda, citing issues within the Kenyan gospel community such as pride, internal strife, and individuals becoming mere puppets.
“Kenya was and will continue to be a part of the gospel revival, but we may not be in a position to produce significant gospel brands as we did ten years ago. Why? Because God has shifted that favor to Nigeria and Rwanda…” Bahati explained.
He highlighted the influence of international gospel artists like Sinach from Nigeria and his friend Israel Mbonyi from Rwanda. Bahati emphasized that Kenya does not lack talent or quality gospel songs. Instead, he pointed to mutual animosity among the talents nurtured in the church as a significant issue.
“The truth is that the talents God nurtured in the church have turned into mutual hatred among themselves,” he said.
Bahati further expressed his concern about the prevalence of puppetry within the church compared to the secular world, noting that success in the gospel industry often leads to collective efforts to bring individuals down, unlike in other music genres such as Gengetone.
“There are more puppets in the church than in the secular world. When someone succeeds, people quickly unite to bring them down in the gospel industry rather than in Gengetone,” Bahati remarked.
He admitted his reluctance to discuss church matters publicly, acknowledging that his comments might be perceived as seeking attention. However, Bahati stressed that his hesitation stems from an awareness of the deep-seated animosity within the gospel community.
“I don’t like to talk much about church matters, and I know they know themselves. They will say I’m seeking attention, but the truth is I fear approaching this industry because I know how they hate each other,” he said.
Bahati also reflected on the need for humility and repentance within the gospel community. While he does not consider himself more righteous than others, he believes that seeking forgiveness and moving away from being puppets is essential for progress.
“One thing I know is that we need to ask for forgiveness and stop being puppets so that God can take us to another level. Otherwise, I pray that God continues to lift Arbantone as we pretend to be deputies of Jesus and you are puppets,” he concluded.
