This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
On August 29, 2019, Kenya's moral policeman, Dr Ezekiel Mutua, announced the ban of playing Tetema and Wamlambez in public places.
The CEO of the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) decreed that the lyrics of Tetema, by Tanzanian singers Rayvanny and Diamond Platnumz, and Wamlambez, by the Sailors, can only be played in night clubs and bars, where the audience is strictly adult.
Dr Mutua stated, "It's embarrassing to see even national leaders singing and dancing to the obscenity in public. The lyrics are dirty and not suitable for public consumption, especially children,"
The ban has attracted varied reactions from the online community, with some supporting the decision and others opposing it.
Supporters of the ban argue that the songs are not suitable for public consumption, especially children, and that they are an insult to the country's values.
Opponents of the ban, however, argue that the songs bring people together and that the decision is an overreach of authority.
