Chris Em: How I almost lost my guitar to robbers in Kamukunji

Chris Em, a business administrator currently based in the UK, wears many hats beyond the corporate world. He is a talented guitarist and recording artist, blending his passion for music with his daily hustle.

Music, he explains, has always been a part of him. From a young age, he found himself singing and entertaining guests at home and performing in church. His journey into recording music was influenced by the artists he worked with as a guitarist. Watching them create music inspired him to take the leap into the studio.

Today, he has multiple projects available across all streaming platforms, with his latest release titled Wendo Cama. And he’s not stopping there, he has plenty more music in the pipeline, promising fans even more Afro-pop.

Though he was born and partly raised in Murang’a, Nairobi has always been part of his story. His father worked in the city, so he would frequently travel there before his family eventually settled in Thika. While he doesn’t recall his first visit to Nairobi, one unforgettable experience left a lasting impression.

One day, as he was walking from Kamukunji to Koja, he realised that someone had been following him with the intent to steal his guitar. Fortunately, some boda boda riders noticed the situation and intervened.

They beat the would-be thief so severely that Chris feared they might set him on fire. He pleaded with them to let the man go, but instead, they turned their anger on him, accusing him of defending a criminal.

“This guy was so hell-bent to steal my loved possession and I couldn’t easily part with it. While the boda boda guys intervened, I felt sorry for him,” he says.