Nairobi News

Jenga Jirani Festival, will this weekend bring together more than 50 celebrities to perform at a virtual charity event to raise funds to help communities hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The festival which will be live-streamed on their website and on their Youtube channel 7pm-10pm on Saturday and Sunday will see local artistes perform in one of the biggest online festivals in the country and Africa and aims to raise Sh100 million.

Non-profit organisation Jonathan Jackson Foundation (JJF) and Kubamba Krew organised the two-day mega concert projected to reach to more than 10 million people online.

The festival will feature a stellar lineup of top Kenyan music artistes including Nyashinski, Khaligraph, Samidoh, Eric Wainaina, Mercy Masika, Juliani, Blinky Bill, Chris Kaiga, Lady Bee, Moji Short Babaa and Eko Dydda. Others are comedians Eric Omondi and MC Jessy.

Speaking during the media launch in Nairobi, the Jenga Jirani Festival chairman Jonathan Jackson said the effect of the pandemic is still being felt by many, hence the need for concerted efforts to help those in dire need of humanitarian aid.

“Jenga Jirani is looking to continue supporting families both short and long term, and is calling on Kenyans to come together and help ‘jenga a jirani’,” he said.

JJF has in the last six months provided more than 240 tonnes of food since the Covid-19 started to support the sick, elderly and vulnerable around Nairobi.

The initiative reached out to the vulnerable in the society by distributing food, sanitary products and sharing care.

While appealing to Kenyans to come together to help each other, Jonathan assured Kenyans of full accountability for the money that will be raised during the festival.

“We will show accountability of every coin that we will use. We have teamed up with AMREF Kenya so that all the money that will be donated will go to their account,” he said, adding: “We will also have an advisory committee to ensure that the money goes to only the projects,” he added.