Piece by: PAUL AMUKO

23 June 2023

• Musau, has received a prestigious nomination to attend the BET Awards, marking a significant milestone in his career.

• Musau is currently experiencing difficulties obtaining his visa, which may hinder his participation in this particular event.

Renowned Kenyan mentalist, Musau, has received a prestigious nomination to attend the BET Awards, marking a significant milestone in his career.

However, despite the honor, Musau faces a visa challenge that has put his attendance at the event in jeopardy.

In an exclusive interview, Musau shared his thoughts on the nomination, his visa application, and the sponsorship search.Musau as one of East Africa's leading creatives was invited to the annual MIPAD gathering in Los Angeles, California which sidelines the BET awards weekend and also MIPAD Recognition Week, September 29th — October 2. 2023 following the opening of 78th United Nations Annual General Assembly in New York City. (MIPAD) 100 is a global civil society initiative in support of the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/237.

MIPAD publishes a unique global 100 list that identifies outstanding individuals of African descent worldwide, pairing those based in the Diaspora with their counterparts inside Africa across four categories:

Politics 8, Governance, Business 8, Entrepreneurship, Media & Culture, and Humanitarian & Religious and various themed editions.

Past honorees include Trevor Noah (South Africa), Larry Madowo (Kenya), Jonathan Reid (Barbados), Lazar° Ramos & This Araujo (Brazil), Beyonce (USA), Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom), Chimarnanda Adichi (Nigeria), Usain Bolt (Jamaica), Naomi Osaka (Japan), etc.

Unfortunately Musau is currently experiencing difficulties obtaining his visa, which may hinder his participation in this particular event.

In the interview, Musau revealed that if his visa application does not go well in time for the upcoming BET Awards, he will have to aim for the October event in New York City instead.

However, he emphasized that the trip comes with significant expenses, estimated to be around 1 million Kenyan shillings, considering the four-day duration. As a result, Musau is actively seeking sponsorship to support his journey to the BET Awards.

Being invited to the BET Awards is an extraordinary achievement for Musau, particularly as a mentalist recognized from Africa. He expressed his excitement and pride in representing Kenya and the African continent at such a renowned international platform.

Musau believes that he may even be the sole mentalist from Africa in attendance, further highlighting the significance of this opportunity for his career.

''Being invited for BET awards is a very big deal for me especially for being recognized from Africa, it is a milestone in my career as a mentalist, because i am not skeptical that i could be the only mentalist from Africa, and at the same time representing Kenya, it is a very exiting feeling and its a lot to take in.''

While Musau remains optimistic about his chances of making the trip in October, the pressing challenge lies in securing sponsorship within the limited time frame.

Despite having sent out several proposals, he understands that finding a sponsor may take some time. With each passing day, the urgency to secure support for this particular event grows.

As he navigates the visa challenges and sponsorship search, Musau remains determined to make his mark at the BET Awards and showcase the incredible potential of African mentalists on a global stage.