The Gargamel, Buju Banton, touched down in Kenya on Thursday evening, two days before his mega-concert at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) ground.
The 46-year-old jetted into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday night to a warm welcome from a myriad of fans who had gathered outside the arrival area to greet him alongside the red carpet, which had been rolled out for him.
With drums beating in the background, he strode to a waiting motor car amid chants of “Buju, Buju, Buju.” He was then presented with a shawl and a shield by a man, who appeared to be an official, who said he was welcoming the superstar “the African way.”
“Welcome to the Motherland. We have been waiting and we are happy to see you,” the man said as he draped the shawl around the artiste.
A smiling Buju told his fans that he was excited to be in Kenya. “Good evening my people. Can I say I am happy to be home,” resulting in applause. “We have to touch the ground, not the carpet, the ground, he said as he bent to touch the earth. “Africans with an African pride, fighting to retain our rights.”
“Long flight. Let me get something to eat in Kenya,” he said as he ended his brief address and went into the waiting motorcar.
Another video clip from a Kenyan media house also shows Buju emerging from the motor car and expressing amazement that he was actually in Kenya.
“Jah, Rastafari inna Kenya. Mi mumma,” Buju said as he stepted out of the motorcar and stretched his lanky frame. “Yuh know how much mi hear bout yah. Listen nuh, mi nuh stop watch Kenya pan di bloodcl**t Animal Channel and see dem elephant and dem lion an dem suppm deh. Si mi yah! Selassie,” he said gleefully, as he re-entered the car to take out his shield.
According to news from Kenyan media, Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, was scheduled to perform the previous week Saturday, but the concert was rescheduled to allow Kenyans to attend the public viewing of the body of the late retired President Daniel Arap Moi, at the nearby Parliament buildings.
Saturday night’s concert was the Till Shiloah artiste’s first show in The Motherland since his release from prison in 2018.
