Kenyan rapper Martin Nduati, known to fans as Zien Kapitani, has spent years chasing the moment his music finally broke through.
That moment arrived in July 2026, when his track "Kitemeo," produced by Capo, reached number one on Kenya's YouTube Music trending chart, pulling in 168,000 views within two days of release.
Before the hit, Kapitani had already built a quiet catalogue. His back catalogue includes tracks such as "Chubwi," "Niwashe," and "Hii Mwaka," all from 2026. Earlier releases, "Control" and "Single," had circulated without making the same noise.
A song about khat that became a catchphrase
"Kitemeo" is Sheng slang for khat, the stimulant widely chewed across Kenya's towns and cities. Kapitani moves between English, Kiswahili, and Sheng, referencing Korogocho, black coffee, blunts, nduthi, and the pressure of finding money each day.
One phrase from the song, "Alele Mtoto," escaped the track entirely.
Controversy, then a second No. 1
Success brought complications. In late July, "Kitemeo" was pulled from YouTube after a copyright dispute with fellow artiste Mastar VK. By then, the song had already topped the trending chart and amassed more than 500,000 views.
Kapitani addressed the fallout directly:
"Naweza sema hii mambo yote nilijiletea… for daring to be the big artist in Kenya."
He added that his team was working on restoring the video, but wouldn't rush it.
Street sound, national attention
The rapper's rise has drawn attention beyond music circles. Nairobi MP Babu Owino was photographed with Kapitani, a moment widely read as proof the song had crossed from the streets into mainstream conversation. Streaming figures back up the momentum, with Spotify showing over 72,000 monthly listeners.
Whether "Kitemeo" or "Safe" ends up the bigger hit is beside the point. Kapitani has proved he can go from years in the shadows to the top of the chart, and do it twice in one summer. For a rapper who once struggled to be noticed, that's the real story.
For Kapitani, it appears to be only the beginning.
