Nairobi-based Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) gospel artiste Kelsey Kerubo has spoken out about the emotional distress that led to her exit from Msanii Music Group.
Kerubo, one of the choir's prominent lead voices, revealed that persistent internal friction and accusations of unfair treatment pushed her away from the choir.
Allegations of Favouritism and Rumours
Kerubo explained that the conflict began with complaints that she received preferential treatment from the group's video director, Timothy known as Timo. She noted that these claims created severe emotional pressure.
"Inaniletea machuki, inaniletea stress, inafanya watu wananichukia bure. I don’t want it, sitaki!”
“Walikuwa wanasema ati Timo ananipendelea sana hadi to some point they started saying Timo and I were in a relationsahip. Imagine, it reached that point. Timo and I used to be friends because he was a director for Msanii,” Kerubo shared.
Friction Behind the Camera
According to Kerubo, regular video shoots became the main source of tension within the choir. Whenever the director placed her in prominent camera positions, fellow singers questioned the choice.
"So anytime Timo hata anasema ati nikae mahali fulani, they look for a reason,” she recalled.
She recounted the exact words used by disgruntled colleagues during video productions.
“She has been told to do so, sisi wengine sisi ni mavixen hapa nyuma lakini Kelsey yeye anawekwa hapo aonekane sana, kwani sisi ni akina nani?” she quoted.
Stepping Back from the Spotlight
To avoid constant confrontation, Kerubo started declining front-row placement during video recordings. She explained that stepping back was her only way to preserve her peace of mind.
Reflecting on the envy she experienced within the group, Kerubo cited a popular saying about jealousy.
"But ule mtu mwenye alisema mtu unafaa sana kuogopa mtu ako na wivu kushinda hata mchawi, huyo mtu alisema ukweli," Kerubo reflected.
Msanii Music Group (MMG) was founded in Nairobi in 2020 by producer Joash Nyamongo under the Msanii Records production label. The studio choir quickly gained widespread popularity across East Africa.
However, behind their success, interpersonal tensions were quietly building behind the scenes.
