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Charles Njagua Kanyi, aka Jaguar, has come under scrutiny after asking musicians to stop looking for him when they are broke.
Speaking to Mseto East Africa, Jaguar tried to defend his manifesto plus the developments he has done for the Starehe Constituency as the Member of Parliament.
“First, I would like to reiterate that I am an artiste but I didn’t ask for votes as an artiste and furthermore it is not fellow musicians who voted for me but my constituents,” he said.
“I am here to work for my people, who came out in large numbers and voted for me and I have a pledge to fulfill,” he added.
He further warned that artistes should invest wisely instead of living lavishly to prove a point but once they go broke, they comeback crying for help.
“I don’t know where artistes got the mentality that they should be helped. Some musicians don’t even take music as a business. They have no clue what they are supposed to do and once they hit their paychecks, they misuse the money, financing extravagant lifestyles without investing. Then they claim I don’t help them,” he said.
The first time member of parliament opined that he used to get paid over a million shillings for a gig and he invested the big chunk of his cash.
He also defended the notion of playing Kenyan music. He encouraged artistes to produce consumable content, stating that music is a universally competitive field, and therefore one should match up to the standards so as to get their deserved airplay. “I have performed far and wide and actually Diamond Platnumz and Ali Kiba used to curtain raise for me,” he said.
Early Monday morning, January 24, Jaguar defected to DP Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and officially ditched his Jubilee party.
“Welcome to the Hustler Nation Hon Charles Njagua AKA Jaguar, MP Starehe Constituency,” reads a tweet from the party.
In a series of tweets that followed later, Jaguar thanked the president for a cordial working relationship but felt it was the proper time to move on.
“I would like to thank H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta for the good working relationship that we have had over the years drawing way back from the time I was appointed as a board member at NACADA.
“In 2017, we were elected under the Jubilee Party to deliver the manifesto that we had. However, a time has come and decisions have to be made, the welfare of the people has to be considered. Starehe is a cosmopolitan constituency with many Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the bottom up ideology suits them best,” Jaguar went on.
“Due to this, I feel that working with the Deputy President in his party as he runs for his presidential bid and as he works towards implementing his policies is the best option for my people of Starehe,” Jaguar concluded.
Seen as having turned his back against artistes, Jaguars comments on his relationship with artistes has not been taken kindly by a section of the entertainment industry and the youth whose agenda was main in his political manifesto.
