Has clout chasing become a new showbiz in the entertainment industry?
The line has been blurred in social media circles and celebrities are all about likes and followers with the current competition in the entertainment industry. Most Kenyan celebs have been coming up with ridiculous gimmicks to gain attention before releasing new projects or to just boost their relevance.
To remain on the top trending list in Kenya, the former gospel musician Kevin Kioko widely known by his stage name Bahati has mastered the art of clout chasing.
However, one of the gimmicks he has pulled this year went overboard since he clout-chased with other people’s fame before releasing his family reality TV show.
From faking break-up to regretting dumping his baby mama, here are the times Bahati has lied to his fans before releasing projects earning him the title of ‘king of clout chasing in 2024‘.
Break up with Diana
On June 4, 2024, Bahati posted cryptic messages about their relationship with his wife Diana Marua via his Instagram account sparking confusion online.
One of the posts was a throwback photo of Kenya’s famous footballer Victor Wanyama with his wife accompanied by emojis of broken hearts and a caption suggesting that he had broken up with Diana.
Moments later, he posted another old photo of himself, his baby mama Yvette Obura and their daughter taken during her graduation with a caption insinuating that he regrets breaking up with Yvette and unfollowed his Diana on Instagram.
After 24 hours of clout-chasing with a series of cryptic messages that sparked mixed reactions online, Bahati announced his family reality TV show dubbed ‘The Bahati Empire‘ which would be airing on Netflix.
While announcing its premiere, Bahati bragged about being the first Kenyan family to have a reality TV show on the international film platform.
“We were the first Kenyan family to have a reality show on national TV (Being Bahati on NTV), and now we make history as the first Kenyan family to have a reality show on Netflix. All glory goes to our Lord Jesus Christ, It’s official! The first Kenyan /East African reality show on Netflix is #thebahatisempire, which premiers on Friday 7th June 2024… Oh Yes; I know you all had missed us on TV.
“The King & Queen of Reality are back, and it’s time for us to answer all your rumours as we share with the world our dirty, clean, sad, and happy moments! This is unscripted… this is the best reality Kenya has seen… just trust me! See y’all on Netflix this Friday,” Bahati shared via his Instagram account on June 4, 2024.
On Thursday, June 6, 2024, he launched the new family reality TV show which the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and other prominent persons attended.
However, the online theatrics accorded him the clout he needed to propel his family reality TV show even though he went too far with the stunts.
Apology
Five months later, Bahati asked for forgiveness from Yvette Obura and Victor Wanyama stating that he was sorry for any harm his previous actions caused.
Taking to his Instagram account, on October 25, 2025, the Adhiambo hitmaker, acknowledged his mistake as he asked for forgiveness.
He mentioned that in June he posted Yvette’s photo on social media at a time he was promoting his reality TV show on Netflix adding that he looked forward to fostering a good co-parenting relationship with her.
“In June 2024 I posted a photo of Yvette Obura on my social media accounts. I take this opportunity to apologize to my Sister for any harm caused. I never had any ill motives. I look forward to fostering good co-parenting in the future,” Bahati’s apology to Yvette Obura.
In a separate post, the father of five posted a photo of Victor Wanyama accompanied by an apology, affirming that he was looking forward to a working relationship with Wanyama in future.
“In June 2024 I posted a photo of Victor Wanyama with Diana Marua on my social media accounts. I take this opportunity to apologize for any harm caused. I never had any ill motives. I look forward to fostering good brotherhood and more partnership in the future,” he apologized.
However, it was not clear if he was sincere or just one of his online gimmicks since by the time he posted the apologies, he had just released his album dubbed ‘Village Love’.
Wedding
Bahati is fond of hinting at their upcoming nuptials, keeping fans on edge about when the grand celebration will finally take place each time they have attended a high-profile wedding, last year he announced after attending Akothe’s and this year he did the same after attending Bolo Bespoke’s.
Could he be jealous or just using other people’s wedding ceremonies for social media engagement so that he can remain relevant?
On November 18, the musician took to his official Instagram account with yet another thrilling update about their plans as a couple, revealing the official wedding date, 22nd, while leaving fans guessing the month.
“The Bahati’s historic wedding official date 22nd ……. guess the month 💍 @Diana_Marua,” Bahati wrote.
This revelation comes after a series of postponements and shifting timelines surrounding their wedding plans.
In June 2023, Bahati first announced that he and Diana would tie the knot on December 12, 2023. However, the wedding did not happen as originally planned.
Later, the couple shared that the wedding had been rescheduled to October 2024, aligning with their anniversary month.
“We had planned our wedding for October 20, which is our anniversary day. But now Diana has been postponing every day. It’s not me anymore,” Bahati shared.
