How Colonel Mustafa fell into financial trouble

Many Kenyans were shocked when a video of the rapper working at a mjengo emerged online

Piece by: Maureen Waruinge
Entertainment

• Mustafa is now receiving help from Kenyans. 

• He has thanked them for keeping him in mind and consoling him.

Colonel Mustafa
Image: Instagram

Colonel Mustafa has expressed gratitude to Kenyans for empathizing with his situation. He has asked for support by getting jobs to pay his bills.

He also wants help with therapy. "Mentaly na mwili naskia sina nguvu ya kutembea sana, confidence pia ni kama inaenda."

He told Mungai Eve on her YouTube page on Saturday, May 6 that his troubles came almost soon after the end of TV reality hit series Nairobi Diaries.

"Ilianzia between Nairobi Diaires ikashikana na corona which killed everything but I tries so hard. I took up mjengo work to help out mum because mimi bila yeye sijui."

This was in 2022. He tried to keep it a secret. "There is a time I tried seeking help but friends screenshot to send, but I did alot to stop that."

He blamed some friends and a section of artists for publicizing his plight. This video leak caught him off guard.

He was working in Donholm construction on a week-long contract trying to pay medical bills for his mum.

He found out she was sick 9 months ago. "It was really bad because I was not with her so when I met her, we stayed together in the same house."

He recalled a terrible night when his mum spent the night crying writhing in pain, something that made him realize she was sick.

He took some savings and took her to hospital. She was diagnosed with cancer. "Tuliona mum anaeza enda. Nikachukuwa the last savings, to do a CT scan, it was between figo on the left side, it was very big."

She has done 6 months chemotherapy so far. "The medicine really affects her after Chemo. We do it every three weeks," he informed Mungai.

That's why he works mjengo jobs, to avoid begging or stealing."Niliamua wacha nitumie mikono yangu kuliko kuiba."

How did his money troubles get so bad? "It started at the time of corona, nikasota kabisa lakini kulikuawa ile moja mbili."

He even moved in with a friend for almost ten months. "Mziki haijakuwa ikifanya vizui, kila nikitoa muziki inakataa."

He had some savings he used to release music in the hopes that things would work out but it didnt. This coincided with the time that his mother fell sick.

The emotional and financial strain took a toll on Mustafa. "She needed so much and I had nothing," he said ruefully.

He has not been making any money from his music. "Sina rights na ngoma its with the record label, sijawahi pata hata shilingi."

He never bothered to follow up on the matter saying that he felt it should be left alone. And how was he making money before?

"We depended on concerts a lot, I believe in concerts a lot. I made money that helped out my family, but competition became stiff vijana ni wengi."

He finished by stating that the situation had even affected his ability to get into a relationship. 

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