Poor security & disorganization ruin the Konshens concert in Nairobi
Hype Fest organized a concert featuring Jamaican star Konsens and Kenyan acts that included; Nviiri,
Ethic, Kansoul, Gwaash, Sailors, Bensoul, Ochungulo Family and Chris Kaiga.
The much anticipated concert was held at Ngong Racecourse on Saturday 7th September 2019. Konshens bought tickets, mostly in advance, and were set for a great concert but however all wasn’t rosy at the concert.
Getting to the event was a hassle and there was no proper coordination for parking to enable orderly parking and this led to serious traffic jams for the duration of the event. There was no security at the parking and there were robbery cases as people made their way to the event. Leaving was also a problem especially for those ordering taxis and people had to walk to get to their cabs.
Entrance to the event was also a problem. When the majority of the attendees arrived, there was no coherent entrance strategy and this led to a stampede. This is highly dangerous for an event of that magnitude especially considering that people got hurt and it is a miracle no one got seriously hurt.
There was also no ticket verification at the entrance which beats the purpose of people buying tickets. Some people who did’t have advance tickets got in free. Others who had regular tickets also got into VIP. It is also alleged that some people bribed the security and got into the event at a fraction at the cost.
At the event, there were mobile loos for the attendees. However, there were very few which led to a lot of inconvenience for attendees. Women were especially affected and there were unnecessarily long queues.
The food and beverage providers at the event were very few. The providers were overwhelmed and this meant that getting drinks and food took so long. It is important to note however that the drinks and food at the event were very well priced.
Security inside the event was also wanting and people were also robbed of their valuables at the event.
The event organizers focused too much on the music and forgot about the comfort and security of the attendees. There was a lot of risk to the attendees and it doesn’t look like the organizers cared.
Event organizers have the responsibility of ensuring the safety and comfort of attendees. This includes everything from safety inside and outside, provision of enough sanitary facilities and of course sufficient food and beverage stations. This is what will make them want to come to future events. It is important to note that other larger events held in Kenya have been able to provide so this is not un-achievable.
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