June 25, 1993: The much-publicised Union of Radio and Television Networks of Africa (URTNA) 30th anniversary celebrations ends abruptly following the cancellation of three concerts scheduled for last night and today. The concerts were to be held at Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani. The Director of URTNA programme exchange centre in Nairobi, Mr. Atsen Ahua, said the organisation lacked the “financial, technical and logistical means” to conclude the festivities as earlier planned. The last-minute cancellation drew the wrath of local and foreign musicians who said the concerts’ failure reflected badly on Kenya. “It’s a big embarrassment to the whole nation,” Mr. Teddy Kalanda of Them Mushrooms said. Mr. Sammy Macharia of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MSCK) said the debacle could make Kenya appear “a disorganised country, unable to organise anything”. Nigerian reggae musician Ras Kimono said he had just heard about it on television. Mr. C. Guillaume, manager of the Paris-based Zairean music group, Soukous Stars, said his group was “thoroughly embarrassed and annoyed with the whole arrangement”. In future, he said, they would only appear at URTNA concerts under strict observation of contract rules. Here, support crew who were to man stage lights and sound at the Kasarani Stadium for the cancelled URTNA concert pack up and leave the stadium.

Photo|Nation Syndication