16/03/2025
Burna Boy’s electrifying performance at Uhuru Gardens last night added another triumph to his international streak in Kenya, following a string of poorly executed shows by others.
The mastermind behind the event was Joy Wachira, a discreet yet influential figure in event management and a music industry investor with over 15 years of experience.
As the Managing Director of Madfun Group, a company specializing in event production, travel, and ticketing, Wachira describes the Burna Boy concert as her most significant undertaking in the past decade and a half.
Her portfolio includes orchestrating Kenyan appearances by Maverick City, Kirk Franklin, a leadership and entrepreneurship summit featuring televangelist TD Jakes, and gospel artist Travis Greene.
Wachira notes that Burna Boy’s show stood out due to its complex logistics and the prestige of working with a Grammy-winning A-lister.
Excluding travel, crew, stage setup, and accommodation expenses, Burna Boy earned $1 million (roughly KSh128 million) solely for his performance, according to Wachira.
The Afrobeats icon brought along his 45-member band, The Outsiders, plus a production crew of at least 15, who, Wachira says, excel at recreating his studio sound live.
Burna Boy’s team also shipped in his complete backline of stage instruments.
The concert ran seamlessly—security, sound, and stage all flawless—with Wachira crediting her approach to lessons learned from past events that left attendees disappointed.
“I treat every event like a business, minimizing risks of failure. I approach it with a clear strategy as an investor, not just a promoter,” she explains.