Chiki Kuruka shares frustration over low artiste booking fees

Chiki Kuruka, the manager and wife of Singer Bien-Aimé Baraza, has opened up about the persistent problem of lowball offers for artists, highlighting the lack of understanding around booking costs in the Kenyan music industry.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, March 15, 2026, Kuruka expressed exasperation over repeated calls from clients who offer fees far below the standard for professional performances.

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“The amount of times I get these calls… lol,” she wrote, noting that some clients attempt to book artists for amounts that wouldn’t even cover basic expenses. “Respectfully, it isn’t going to afford me a car… But the car lot isn’t going to afford a Bentley,” she added, using humour to illustrate the mismatch between expectations and reality.

Kuruka pointed out that this problem stems from a lack of knowledge about what it actually costs to book professional artists.

Despite minimal education on the subject, she said, some clients still complain about why top-tier performers aren’t more visible or accessible.

This gap, she argues, leads to repeated frustrations for managers and artists alike.

“It’s crazy that clients still don’t understand what artists’ bookings cost. Many assume top performers should just be available for whatever budget they have.” She noted.

The DJ Rizz example

Chiki Kuruka was reacting to a post by DJ Rizz, manager of gospel artist Guardian Angel, who shared his own experience with lowball offers.

Rizz revealed how a client attempted to book Guardian Angel for only Ksh 50,000, despite the artist’s standard rate of Ksh 300,000.

In the exchange, the client asked about the 50K offer; Rizz explained the minimum fee and offered to share the rate card. According to the manager, the client said they would check with their team, but hung up. When following up, Rizz learned the client had settled with another artist willing to perform for just Ksh30,000.