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Meet Kenya’s country music sensation Pharry K – PHOTOS


Dressed in a cowboy hat, his posture and mien that of an American country boy, his words easily depict the person seeks to be.

His voice has been attracting hordes of Kenyan fans who are all too keen to listen to this raw talent of country music.

He has been nicknamed  Jim Reeves, his songs a complete replica of the country music icon.

Kepha Oyugi Bwonda, stage name Pharry K, has a powerful melodious voice and sings country music in his local Ekegusii language.

He became a sensation after his latest videos of Christmas carols trended on social media.

Pharry K fondly refers to himself as African Cowboy 045 (045 for Kisii county code). He wants to be identified by his African culture.

PHOTO | COURTESY
PHOTO | COURTESY

“”Most people think country music is not for Africans and very few musicians venture into it. I wanted to be different,” he said.

He said his music has won him two awards; Gusii All Stars United (GASU) and Radio Alliance Award USA.

But he could not go to the United States to collect the international award because he lacked a visa.

The 27 year-old musician from Keumbu in Kisii County started singing in 2009 when he was a Form Four student at Itiero Boys High School.

He later joined Kenyatta University to study English Literature, but left in third year after he was lured with a teaching job at Cambridge International School in Doha, Qatar.

But he did not finish his two-year contract citing mistreatment by the school’s administrators.

“The Sh 80,000 untaxed salary no longer meant anything to me and I had to come back home in 2014,” he said.

PHOTO | COURTESY
PHOTO | COURTESY

The condition in Doha did not also support his kind of music.

Devastated, returned to Kisii to work on his first album, Christian Country Music. He followed it up with a second album, Glorious.

In 2015, he went slow on music and ventured into building and construction. HE got a number of contracts with the county government but  abandoned the venture after he disagreed with one of his partners over money.

He returned to music and now has a total of eight albums with Totagote (Never grow old) being his greatest hit.

His albums sell at between sh200 and sh400 per copy.

He hopes to make a difference in lives through his songs.

Pharry K mostly performs in churches, events like parties, weddings and funerals.

“I hope to do greater shows in future and become a renowned musician. I will also go back to university an acquire my degree,” he said.