Moji Shortbabaa explains how working under contracts affect gospel bands
Gospel singer Moji Shortbabaa has opened up about the internal struggles that gospel bands face when working under strict contractual agreements, revealing that such rigidity often clashes with the unique spiritual and personal dynamics of gospel music groups.
He spoke candidly about the challenges that contributed to the eventual split of their Kelele Takatifu band, a group that had been together for over a decade.
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Speaking to the Iko Nini Podcast on Monday, August 4, 2025, Moji highlighted that the differences in personalities and work habits among band members were compounded by the difficulty of enforcing formal contracts in a gospel music setting.
“In gospel, there is a spiritual aspect where it cannot be very contractual. It is one thing to say ‘let’s do music,’ but if we are not in alignment spiritually and personally, then it creates tension,” he said.
Moji said that these misalignments resulted in members drifting apart, with each person pursuing their own agenda instead of moving forward as a united group.
“Because of that, it became just a case of everyone doing their own thing. Even during our tour in the United States, we were apart in some way, but it was strange because everyone was thinking about what was going to happen next rather than focusing on the music or the ministry,” he added.
He also revealed that the contractual constraints and lack of unity in vision created an environment where collaboration became difficult.
“We had been together for 10 years, but the split happened because people’s views on how things should be handled were different. There were differences in habits and personalities. Some wanted to handle things in a more businesslike, contractual way, while others felt gospel needed a more spiritual approach without rigid contracts.”
Moji recounted how after returning to Kenya from the U.S., some members remained abroad while he began to forge his own solo path, releasing music independently.
“When I came back to Kenya, some of them stayed there, and I started doing my own thing and releasing music. That was the point when it became clear that the group had effectively split.”
Gospel industry
In the same interview, the singer, born James Muhia, also dismissed claims that Kenya’s gospel music industry suffered a total collapse during the Covid-19 pandemic, insisting that the genre remains alive.
He acknowledged that the Kenyan gospel scene is no longer as dominant or vibrant as it once was, but he refuted the idea that it disappeared altogether after the pandemic.
“There were people who wished that gospel music would completely disappear after. COVID. Right now, we can agree that the Kenyan gospel industry is not very vibrant, but we cannot say it is non-existent. It is still there. If you want to listen to gospel music, you still will,” he said.
He noted that Kenyan songs are currently absent from top gospel streaming charts, particularly on platforms such as Apple Music.
However, he expressed optimism that ongoing campaigns such as Cheza Gospel will slowly revive the genre’s popularity and visibility in mainstream spaces.
“It is true that if you check the top ten trending gospel songs on something like Apple Music, you will not find a Kenyan song there. But we are hopeful that in the next one or two years, as we continue with campaigns like Cheza Gospel Songs, things will change,” he added.
Moji emphasised that the industry was expected to collapse completely during the Covid period, but that never happened.
He added that the gospel genre he had been referring to all through was specifically urban gospel, clarifying that other forms of gospel music, such as those performed by Wilberforce Musyoka, Shiru wa GP, and Sammy Irungu, are still thriving.
“The gospel industry was supposed to die and be completely wiped out, but somehow, we are still here. I cannot clearly explain why. But when we talk about gospel, we are specifically referring to urban gospel. The other styles, like those sung by Wilberforce Musyoka or Ahirubwa GP, are still thriving. They release hits almost every three weeks. Even artistes like Sammy Irungu are doing very well.”
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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