William Getumbe, the artist behind the hit song “Yesu Ninyandue,” found himself in legal trouble as he was arrested on Tuesday over charges related to indecent content. This development follows a recent notice from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), giving him seven days to remove any questionable content from YouTube and other social media platforms.
Embarambamba, who received a similar notice from KFCB, swiftly responded by apologizing to Kenyans and the board. He took immediate action by removing any indecent content from his social media, including his YouTube channel. Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) Chairman Mutua pledged support to Embarambamba, aiming to assist him in creating more acceptable and clean content.
In contrast, William Getumbe did not comply with the demands from KFCB, leading to his arrest. A press release from KFCB’s North Rift Regional Office, Eldoret, stated, “The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) through its North Rift Regional Office, Eldoret, and with the support of police from Kapsoya Police station have arrested and detained Gospel artist William Getumbe over non-compliance with the film and stage play act, cap 222 of the law of Kenya.”
The arrest came after the expiration of the seven-day demand notice issued to Getumbe, specifically citing violations of section 4 and 12 of cap 222, which govern the creation, possession, distribution, and exhibition of audiovisual content in Kenya. The press statement pointed out the blasphemous nature of the “Yesu Ninyandue” music video among others.
Netizens expressed their dissatisfaction on social media, condemning the release of such gospel songs and accusing the musicians of playing with the name of God. The strong backlash prompted KFCB to take action against these artists.
In response to the arrest, online reactions flooded in, with comments reflecting disapproval. @dj_shiti_comedian remarked, “Vile inafaa very stupid MTU mzima ovyo,” while @ednakalata said, “He deserves that for real,” and @maoertco commented, “Na iwe funzo asiachiliwe.”
The KFCB, through the press statement, urged all content creators to produce content that promotes Kenya’s culture, moral values, and national aspirations. Additionally, they emphasized the need to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content. The incident serves as a reminder of the responsibility content creators bear in crafting material that aligns with societal norms and values.
𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓’ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓@citizentvkenya @ntvkenya @KBCChannel1 @K24Tv @NationAfrica @StandardKenya @PeopleDailyKe @tv47news @TheStarKenya @Kenyans… pic.twitter.com/DpHaittnn0
— Kenya Film Classification Board (@InfoKfcb) March 12, 2024