Bahati says he included Mathare residents in the guest list for his wedding celebration.
Bahati says more than 40 of his 100 invited guests came from Mathare, following criticism of his parliamentary bid announcement.
The Bahati wedding event has drawn criticism after the musician used the gathering to announce his 2027 Mathare parliamentary bid. However, he has rejected claims that he excluded residents from the invitation-only function.
Speaking during an interview with media personality Oga Obinna, Kevin Bahati defended both the venue and guest list. He said more than 40 of the 100 people he invited came from Mathare.
Bahati wedding event guest list draws scrutiny
Bahati also challenged critics to name a hotel within Mathare that could have accommodated the gathering. He held the November 6 function at Nairobi’s Argyle Grand Hotel, outside the constituency he hopes to represent.
During the event, the singer formally declared his intention to contest the Mathare parliamentary seat in 2027. The announcement then drew questions about the reported Sh1 million invitation cost and who could attend.
Media personality Ademba Allan criticised the decision to announce a parliamentary bid at an invitation-only gathering. He questioned why Bahati had not opened the function to residents whose votes he would seek.
Allan also challenged the presence of wealthy guests and celebrities. He argued that many invitees lived outside Mathare, naming Runda, Loresho, Lavington, Kitisuru and Karen among their neighbourhoods.
Wedding publicity turns to a political announcement
Before the political declaration, Bahati and his wife, Diana Marua, had promoted the gathering as a wedding celebration. The couple presented it as an occasion to mark their 10 years together.
On October 7, they announced a guest limit of 100, with each invitation reportedly costing Sh1 million. They also shared videos showing invitations reaching prominent personalities, building public anticipation ahead of the November gathering.
The guest limit subsequently became central to criticism of the political announcement. However, Bahati maintained that he had deliberately included Mathare residents when choosing whom to invite.
His declaration marks a second attempt to enter Parliament after his unsuccessful campaign in the 2022 General Election. In that race, he contested Mathare on a Jubilee Party ticket and lost to ODM’s Anthony Oluoch.
