Kenya's First Lady Runs Amok!

First Lady disrupts Diop's party
Story by JOHN MUCHIRI and PHILIP MWANIKI
Publication Date: 05/01/2005
Source: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=48098

First Lady Lucy Kibaki



First Lady Lucy Kibaki dramatically disrupted a farewell party at the Nairobi home of outgoing World Bank country director Makhtar Diop on Friday night.

An angry Mrs Kibaki invaded the house demanding that the loud music be switched off.

At that time musicians Mercy Myra, Eric Wainaina and Suzanne Kibukosya were on stage entertaining the guests.

A confrontation ensued as Mrs Kibaki engaged Mr Diop and his wife in an angry exchange.

At one time she told Mr Diop that no man in Kenya has dared talk back to her.

Mr Diop, who leaves the country today, is a tenant of the Kibakis in the exclusive Muthaiga neighbourhood.

He rented the house lived in by the First Family for many years until President Kibaki was elected and moved to State House.

The family built another house in an adjacent plot where the First Lady sometimes stays.

Mrs Kibaki was protesting that the music was too loud. First signs that there might be trouble were seen in the afternoon when technicians and musicians were setting up and testing the sound system. Mrs Kibaki came over and ordered them to dismantle everything.

They only resumed after Mr Diop consulted State House and told them to proceed. Then at night when the party was getting into full swing, Mrs Kibaki stormed in accompanied by bodyguards, demanding that the music be switched off.

Singer Eric Wainaina recalls: "I was still on stage preparing to do my second song when she turned up. She had like five bodyguards and ordered the music to be stopped from playing. It was so embarrassing since she is the First Lady and even diplomats had been invited.

"She could not listen to anyone, not even to Mr Diop himself. In fact she started asking irrelevant questions such as ‘who is your mother?’ It was so bad. What she was wearing was not very clear to me, but it looked more like some blue track suit or pyjamas."

Mercy Myra concurred, telling her version of the same incident, and recalling how Mrs Kibaki came in at around midnight yelling at the guests to leave.

"She shouted at Mr Diop that he would not be allowed to disrupt her peace just because he is leaving the country," Mercy said.

Some of those present witnessed Mrs Kibaki trying to unplug the music system and shouting that "This is Muthaiga, not Korogocho".

She told the guests that they could go and continue their party in Korogocho, one of Nairobi's biggest slums.

She paid no heed to Mr Diop's explanations, even as the World Bank executive tried to tell her that he had informed President Kibaki about the party, and the president had no problem with it.

Mrs Kibaki came to the residence three times, ignoring angry party goers who started singing in defiance. On her last call at around 1.00am, she was denied entry by the security guards and went away.

Two of her children, Judy and David, were present at the party and tried to calm down their mother without success.

Mr Diop is an amateur musician and jazz enthusiast and often joins jam sessions, with his bass guitar, at various city clubs.

His farewell party had been billed a "wild" affair and guests included various local musicians and other celebrities, as well as World Bank staff, diplomats and NGO staff. A few government officials were also present, including Investment Secretary Esther Koimet.

Many of the guests are regular patrons of Club Sikiliza at Gigiri area where Mr Diop plays the guitar.

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