Jaguar Denies Being Booed Off Stage By “Wantam” Chants At Mataha Festival

Singer-turned-politician Charles Njagua Kanyi, better known as Jaguar, has fiercely debunked claims that an angry crowd forced him off the stage at the Mataha Festival in Thika.

The incident, which took place on June 14, 2026, at the Mount Kenya University Pavilion grounds, went viral after videos showed the crowd erupting into anti-government slogans during his set. However, the former Starehe MP insists the narrative has been heavily twisted online.

Technical Glitch vs. Political Backlash

According to Jaguar, the viral clips are highly edited and completely misrepresent what actually transpired. He clarified that the brief disruption was caused by a sudden audio malfunction, not political hostility.

“The DJ equipment malfunctioned while I was singing Matapeli, a very patriotic song. The crowd chanted during the short silence while the team fixed the sound,” Jaguar stated.

The artist maintained that once the sound system was back up and running, the crowd remained fully engaged, and he finished his performance successfully. To back his claims, Jaguar uploaded the full, unedited video of the concert, urging fans to ignore the social media propaganda.

Inside the Thika Drama: The Rise of the ‘Wantam’ Movement

Despite Jaguar’s clarification, the tense atmosphere at the festival—which attracted over 10,000 revelers celebrating Gikuyu heritage—shined a bright spotlight on the brewing political friction in the Mount Kenya region.

Sections of the crowd hijacked the musical event to chant “Ruto must go!” and “Wantam!”—a localized, phonetic twist on the English phrase “One Term.”

Why the “Wantam” Slogan is Gaining Traction:

• The Single-Term Threat: The chant serves as a direct warning from Central Kenya voters aiming to limit President William Ruto to a single term in the upcoming 2027 General Election.

• The Gachagua Factor: The political backlash highlights shifting loyalties in the region following the high-profile impeachment and isolation of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

• Economic Pain: Frustrated by the rising cost of living, attendees used the cultural platform to vent over broken government promises.

The Irony of “Matapeli”

The standoff underscores the high-stakes gamble for Kenyan entertainers who cross over into politics. As a prominent ally of the ruling political establishment, Jaguar walked right into a regional powder keg.

Adding a layer of deep irony to the night, the hitch occurred while Jaguar was performing his hit song “Matapeli”—a track famed for condemning corruption and political betrayal with lines like, “Bei ya unga inapanda wakati mahindi inaoza kwa shamba” (The price of flour rises while maize rots in the fields). In a twist of fate, the crowd weaponized the politician’s own socially conscious lyrics against his current political alignments.