'Ngemi 6.0' event slammed as revellers decry insecurity, overcrowding and artist lineup

A section of attendees who turned up for the Ngemi 6.0 cultural event at Boxwood Gardens in Limuru have expressed disappointment, citing what they described as poor organisation, inadequate security, overcrowding and underwhelming entertainment.

Videos shared on social media by several influencers captured moments of frustration among revellers during the event.

According to Teacher Lilo, who shared her experience on TikTok, attendees expected more from the event, particularly in terms of musical performances.

“Honestly, I did not enjoy Ngemi. We paid for tickets, and with those tickets, we did not get to see any artist. I did not see artists; there were performers, and they did well. But you are not bringing a proper line-up. You need to do better; you cannot keep bringing us performers throughout the event from around six in the evening until late at night. We need artists,” she said.

@temimoh0 @Ngemi #ngemi #ngemihomecoming #mugithi #kikuyu #gikuyu ♬ original sound - Tee♥️

Ivy also took to TikTok to express her dissatisfaction, criticising the entertainment line-up, crowding and overall event management.

“Ngemi 6.0 has really disappointed people. There were no artists, and no wonder you did not give us a line-up. The place was overcrowded. It looked like Ngemi on a budget. People went home without their phones. We cannot pay to come and listen to Steve Rogers the whole night,” she said.

Another attendee, Tee, questioned some of the programming decisions and expressed disappointment with the performances featured throughout the event.

@lilongeshy @Ngemi Jameni ?#ngemi #lilongeshy5 #genzteachers ♬ original sound - LILO

“Ngemi, you have really messed up because why was Steve Rogers performing back to back, and what was Jeff Koinange doing at a mugithi event? We paid three thousand for two artists. You failed us,” she said.

Many attendees have since flooded social media platforms with complaints, with security emerging as one of the most frequently raised concerns.

Some revellers alleged that numerous mobile phones were stolen during the event, while others claimed that a large number of people entered the venue without proper accreditation or identification tags. These claims could not be independently verified. 

@mukamiireri0 my honest review about ngemi 6.0.....next time pull up your socks jamani?‍♀️#merutiktoker #tiktokkenya?? #fyp ##ivyireri ♬ original sound - Ivy?

“At some point I even wondered if that was Ngemi. Everything was a mess,” said one attendee.

Crowd control was also heavily criticised, with participants saying the venue became extremely congested, making movement difficult as the event progressed.

Entertainment was another major concern, with several attendees arguing that the organisers failed to secure enough popular artists.

Many compared this year’s edition unfavourably to previous Ngemi events, which they said featured stronger line-ups and better performances.

By the time of publication, organisers had yet to issue a response to the concerns.