Former Starehe MP and popular musician Charles Njagua, known by his stage name Jaguar, has spoken openly about being deported from the United States a chapter he described as one of the lowest points in his life.
In a heartfelt interview on Kameme FM with Muthoni wa Kirumba, Jaguar recalled how his excitement about starting a new life in America ended in shame after immigration officials in Detroit questioned his intentions.
Carrying six bags filled with foodstuffs and lacking the proper documents, he was deported for allegedly planning to overstay.
“I didn’t even know the specifics of where I was going,” he admitted, noting that photos of his girlfriend were used to claim he wouldn’t return to Kenya.
Back home, he faced ridicule and hid at his aunt’s house until she urged him to move on. “I cried. I thought life was over,” he said. But that painful experience sparked a turning point. A visit to a friend’s studio in Tanzania reignited his love for music, setting him on the path to his hit song Kigeugeu.
Jaguar also revealed his early struggles in the US, where he worked as a cleaner and store attendant earning $10 an hour. After saving up, he returned to Kenya, bought three taxis, and started a business that gave him the foundation to pursue music fully.
“I thought going to America would solve everything,” he said. “But in the end, it was coming back home that changed my life.”
