Koffi Olomide headlines Nairobi concert for broadcaster Machoka's 50 years

Congolese rumba bandleader Koffi Olomide headlines a concert on Saturday 10 October at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi to mark 50 years in broadcasting for the Radio Citizen presenter Fred Obachi Machoka. Rio Times Online reported on 22 September that the programme runs from noon to midnight.

The Viutickets page for the event, "Fred Obachi Machoka @50", lists Koffi Olomide, Mbilia Bel, Sam Fan Thomas, Alicios Theluji, Les Wanyika, Them Mushrooms, Veterans X-comm Band, TBM Band, Freshly Mwamburi and Dola Kabarry. Mbilia Bel is a Congolese singer and Sam Fan Thomas a Cameroonian makossa musician.

On 7 October four ticket types were on sale: Regular at KSh 6,000, VIP at KSh 17,000, VVIP at KSh 28,000 and a corporate table for six people at KSh 140,000. The Regular ticket is on sale until 9 October. VIP, VVIP and corporate table tickets are on sale until 10 October, the day of the concert.

Buyers can pay directly by M-Pesa on the page or by USSD, using the code *487*27#. Tickets can be sent to the email address given at payment.

The Ulinzi Sports Complex is in the Lang'ata area of south-west Nairobi and sits inside Lang'ata Barracks.

Machoka's broadcasting career began while he was a General Service Unit (GSU) officer. The Standard reported on 3 October that in 1975 he won a Sanyo radio talent competition. A producer from the Voice of Kenya, now the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), was mesmerised by his deep, natural baritone and invited him to work with him. Machoka later resigned from the GSU to go into broadcasting.

Citizen Digital reported on 9 July that the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) had honoured Machoka for 50 years in broadcasting. He is known for the Roga Roga show on Radio Citizen and Citizen TV, and blends rumba music with skills that engage audiences.