Nigerian Afrobeats star Asake has expressed his grief following the death of a Kenyan fan after a crowd crush at his concert in Nairobi.
The victim, 20-year-old Karen Lojore, was among fans queuing near one of the entry gates at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday. Long delays at the entrance, compounded by heavy rain, led to overcrowding, leaving several concertgoers injured.
Family and friends of Ms Lojore have called for a full investigation into the incident and for those responsible to be held accountable. Kenyans across social media platforms have also shared messages of condolence and solidarity.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Monday, Asake said he was “devastated by the tragic incident,” adding that his “heart goes out to the family, friends and loved ones of Karen Lojore.” He pledged to support efforts to “understand what happened,” saying music had always been his way of spreading “love and joy,” and that it broke his heart that anyone experienced such loss. “Those responsible should be held accountable,” he said.
Kenyan police spokesperson Michael Muchiri described the crush as “very unfortunate,” telling the BBC that while the situation had been serious, officers managed to contain the crowd and prevent further deaths. He noted that crowd control at the venue appeared inadequate, but said investigations would establish what went wrong and help prevent similar tragedies in future. Such inquiries, he added, are typically concluded within weeks.
In a social media post tagging both the concert organisers and Asake, a woman believed to be Ms Lojore’s mother wrote: “What happened to my child? Why her? I want justice for my child.”
The event organisers, Tukutane Entertainment, said they were working with authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident. A journalist with Citizen TV, Immanuel Ndungu, who attended the concert, also spoke on Instagram about challenges at the stadium, including entry bottlenecks and crowd control concerns.
Tukutane Entertainment has previously organised major concerts in Kenya featuring artists such as Tems, Rema and Sauti Sol.
The Nairobi incident echoes a deadly crowd crush at London’s Brixton Academy in 2022, a show headlined by Asake, which left at least two people dead and others seriously injured.
Asake, born Ahmed Ololade, is one of Nigeria’s leading Afrobeats stars. He rose to prominence in 2022 with his debut album Mr. Money With the Vibe, earned a nomination for the BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2023 award, and has since received multiple accolades, including two Grammy nominations.
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