Kenyan artist Willy Paul has criticized the treatment he received at Diamond Platnumz’s Furaha City music festival, which took place at the Nairobi Polo Club on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
On his official Instagram account, Willy Paul expressed his dissatisfaction, claiming he was mistreated during the event. He pointed out that Tanzanian artists seemed to receive priority over their Kenyan counterparts.
“Tanzanian artists are being given priority at this event. This is disappointing. Why are Kenyans being disregarded in favor of the Tanzanians?” Willy Paul wrote.
He further complained that Tanzanian performers were called to the stage while Kenyan acts were left out due to last-minute changes to the performance schedule.
“I’m being mistreated here. They’re putting Tanzanians on stage and making last-minute changes. Why are Kenyans allowing this?” he added.
Some attendees of the event alleged that Willy Paul was prevented from performing, with Zuchu being invited to take the stage instead, which sparked a backlash. The situation escalated when a disagreement broke out between Willy Paul and Diamond Platnumz’s team over the order of performances. It’s claimed that Diamond’s manager blocked Willy Paul from performing, leading to a public outcry from the crowd, who demanded the Kenyan artist be allowed to perform.