Eric Wainaina reveals how ‘Daima Mkenya’ song became source of national comfort
By Steve Ireri, March 3, 2026Musician Eric Wainaina has revealed how his iconic song Daima Mkenya emerged as a source of national comfort following the 1998 US embassy bombing in Nairobi.
Speaking in an interview shared by the Mic Cheque podcast on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Wainaina recounted the moment when the tragedy first reached him while he was attending a summer day camp in the USA.
He recalled that a lady approached him at the camp and asked if he was from Kenya, informing him that a bomb had just exploded in his country.
“In 1998, the bomb went off at the American Embassy, and at that time I was at a summer day camp. A lady walked towards me and asked if I was from Kenya, saying that a bomb had just gone off in my country,” he narrated.
Initially incredulous, Wainaina said he could not imagine such an incident, believing that the last major attack in Kenya had been decades earlier.
That moment prompted him to check and reflect on the role music could play in offering solace.
“I initially said a bomb never goes off in my country, because I thought the last time something like that happened was around 1918, during the attack at the Norfolk Hotel. So I checked,” he shared.
At the time, the song that would later be known as Daima Mkenya was called Kenya Only and was performed in English.
Wainaina explained that following the bombing, the song quickly became a source of comfort for Kenyans, resonating with the grief and resilience of the nation.
“The song we now call ‘Daima Mkenya’ used to be called ‘Kenya Only’, and it was in English at the time. After the bombing, the song became something people turned to for comfort,” he said.
He further revealed that in the following year, he was invited to perform during the official commemoration of the embassy bombing.
Several musicians were part of the event, and the Kenyatta family requested Wainaina to perform despite his prior commitments in the United States.
“The following year, I got a gig to perform during the commemoration of the bombing. There were several musicians, and the Kenyatta family said it had been 20 years since Mzee Kenyatta passed away, but they could not hold a commemoration because of the bombing. They asked if I could perform, but I initially said I had a scheduled performance in the US,” he shared.
He described the opportunity as significant, although he expressed some regret for not negotiating further support when the Kenyatta family facilitated his return for the performance.
“They insisted and paid for me to come back to Kenya to perform. It was a great opportunity, but I regret not having asked for more support at the time, because they were willing to fund my return,” Eric said.