Nigerian Afrobeats star Asake has expressed deep grief following the death of a Kenyan lady during a crowd crush outside his concert in Nairobi, an incident that has reignited concerns over crowd control at major music events in Africa.
The victim, 20-year-old Karen Lojore, died after being caught in a crush near one of the entry gates of the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.
Reports indicate that long queues, delayed access into the venue and heavy rainfall worsened the situation, leaving several other fans injured.
As condolences poured in across Kenya and beyond, family members and friends of Ms Lojore demanded a full investigation and justice, with social media users amplifying calls for accountability from organisers and authorities.
In a statement shared on Instagram on Monday, Asake said he was “devastated by the tragic incident,” describing music as his way of spreading “love and joy.”
He added that it “breaks my heart that anyone had to experience such loss,” while extending sympathies to Ms Lojore’s family and pledging support for efforts to determine what went wrong. The singer stressed that those responsible must be held accountable.
Kenyan police spokesman Michael Muchiri described the incident as “very unfortunate,” noting that officers intervened to manage the situation and prevent further deaths.
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He acknowledged lapses in crowd control at the venue, adding that investigations were underway and would help establish responsibility and prevent similar tragedies in the future. He said such probes are typically concluded within weeks.
In an emotional social media post tagging both the concert organisers and Asake, a woman believed to be Ms Lojore’s mother questioned how her daughter died and demanded justice, a message that further fuelled public outrage.
The event organisers, Tukutane Entertainment, said they were cooperating with authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A journalist with Citizen TV, Immanuel Ndungu, who attended the concert, also raised concerns online about poor entrance management and inadequate crowd control measures.
Tukutane Entertainment has previously organised high-profile concerts featuring artists such as Tems, Rema and Sauti Sol, but the Nairobi tragedy has drawn renewed scrutiny to safety standards at large music events.
The incident echoes a deadly crowd surge at London’s Brixton Academy in 2022, where two people died during a show headlined by Asake.
Despite the shadow cast by these tragedies, Asake remains one of Nigeria’s leading Afrobeats stars, rising to prominence in 2022 with his debut album Mr. Money With the Vibe and earning multiple international accolades, including Grammy nominations.
BBC News
