By Michelle Ndaga
Kenyan singer Bahati has found himself at the center of controversy following the release of his new single Seti, a secular track that briefly disappeared from YouTube before being restored.
The video, uploaded on Bahati’s official channel, had garnered 1,100,980 views at the time of the incident. It registered 26,797 likes against a staggering 103,811 dislikes about 79 percent negative feedback and attracted 15,648 comments, many of them critical.
The singer, who had been quiet for nearly a year, made his comeback with Seti, which featured suggestive scenes, including a woman twerking close to his face. The video shocked many fans, given Bahati’s gospel roots, and triggered a wave of backlash.
The uproar was so intense that his wife, Diana Marua, publicly distanced herself from the song, saying it risked damaging her corporate brand.
In what appeared to be a response to the criticism, Bahati took to social media to announce he was preparing to release a gospel song his first in years. However, he revealed that the release has faced setbacks.
According to Bahati, a Tanzanian artist with whom he collaborated on the gospel track is now blocking its release, leaving the project in limbo.
The short snippet of the gospel track that Bahati shared reignited nostalgia among fans, reminding them of his earlier years as a celebrated gospel star. Yet the challenges in releasing it, combined with the backlash over Seti, underscore the struggles he faces in balancing his artistic reinvention with the expectations of his audience.
Industry observers note that while the controversy has dented his reputation among some fans, it has also fueled curiosity a factor likely to drive continued viewership and debate around Bahati’s evolving career.
