By Dak Buoth Riek-Gaak,
25th October, 2021 — On 10th October 2021, an Addis Ababa based and upcoming rapper or hip pop musician known by his social media name ‘Bravo Kiss’ made and posted a video that went viral on social media, alleging that the celebrated Artist, Koang Deng Kun popularly known as K-Deng hired goons and gangs to disrupt the music concert in the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa. The latter has since responded and refuted these claims as lies peddled to tarnish his name with a view to climb up. The said video was made in Thuok-Naath or Nuer language, one of the widely spoken National Languages in South Sudan and Ethiopia.
This budding Entertainer spoke at length and apportioned blame on K-Deng as being responsible for the violence that occurred during and after the concert. He said those who caused the violence that prematurely ended the concert was orchestrated by a group called Wang Dun Kon, which means in English, ‘We are your eye’. This youthful group was founded by K-Deng some years back in Kenya. Wang Dun Kon comprised aspiring young entertainers many of whom were from Kakuma Refugee Camps, where K-Deng began his musical career.
In his reaction on the same, K-Deng said he was told that violence did happen, but denied the allegations saying neither he nor Wang Dun Kon had a hand in the incident. Mr. Kiss mentioned without an iota of proof that K-Deng sent money to those who disrupted the event in Addis Ababa. And as he was bitterly narrating this chaotic incident, he was calling K-Deng all sorts of names. He went further to issue threats and swore before God and his fans that he would do some malicious acts that would make K-Deng regret in future. And Like I pointed above, members of K-Deng’s Wang Dun Kon are from humble backgrounds.
I have seen them as easy going and self-motivated Youth and students who have little or no time for such criminal activities in cities like Addis Aba. Since they came into existence some years ago, I had never seen or heard any accusation level against them in all social media platforms. And should these allegations be found to be true, then it will be the first time for Wang Dun Kon and K-Deng to cause violence.
The day Mr Kiss made his Video, I took time to watch his music as well as his talks on social media. From what I had seen, he is very vocal and maverick. I can say Bravo Kiss is a rapper with a voice and bright future in the music industry.
However, all that Mr. Kiss needs to do as he rises up to the apex, is to be humble and respectful of both his juniors and seniors in the music industry.
K-Deng happened to be his senior whom he owes some respect to. This means, even if K-Deng did what he allegedly said in the video, he ought not to go to that extent of insulting and threatening him with death. More often than not, no one earned the loyalty of his followers or fans by inflicting fear. Therefore, Bravo Kiss should not be misled by the thousand viewers who watched and shared the video in which he insulted and attacked the personality of K-Deng who was outside the African continent at the time of the event.
I would rely on character evidence to argue my case and say, I had lived with K-Deng for a very long time, that K-Deng as known to many is a man of peace. An individual cannot wake up one day to air such empty accusations thinking people will believe him. Among those who watched his stuff, I believe no one took Kiss seriously, because they knew K-Deng for what he does.
At another point, Bravo Kiss twisted the story to make it look like communal beef between Nuer’s Gajaak and Gajiok clans where K-Deng hails from. I know K-Deng like his senior Emmanuel Jal do not want to be identified with their Nuer clan in South Sudan. They are Nuer, and South Sudanese musicians, period.
I doubt if K-Deng can get time and benefit from inciting violence Between his sisterly Gajiok and Gajaak clan far away from home. The day I saw and started listening to Kiss’ video, I asked: How would K-Deng incite or plan violence that he never did outside Africa? K-Deng is a humble young South Sudanese with great humor; he likes happiness and entertainment.
Those who have interacted with him will tell you point blank, that he is a jovial guy who likes cracking jokes to both young and old. He also walks the talk, meaning he lives by his words. Thus, I refused to believe that he funded goons and gangs to disrupt music concerts at his age. Moreover, K-Deng loves the Nuer community and music lovers alike. Thus, I would hardly believe that he can pay and transport goons to harm them. K-Deng is an undisputed public figure who has built a reputation that he cares for. Contrary to Mr. Kiss he can’t engage in vices that can injure his good name in Africa while he lives in Calgary, Canada.
Many would remember that K-Deng is a household name in Kenya. As of now, he is one of the third popularly known persons in Kenya. There were times when South Sudanese were named after three persons, that is Dr. John Garang de Mabior, K-Deng and Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
I fondly recall that prior to the independence of South Sudan in 2011 especially at the time before Dr. John Garang died in a plane crash, many Kenyans used to call us ‘Garang’.
I had personally witnessed a few anti- Garang South Sudanese, who fought these innocent Kenyans merely because they were called ‘Garang’. By then many Kenyans assumed that Garang was a darling to every South Sudanese by virtue of him being the leader. But in most cases leaders are not admired by everybody even in their home tuft. That is the reason why in the book of Mark 6:4: Jesus was quoted as saying ‘‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town.’’
In 2010, when K-Deng participated in the televised National Music competition dubbed ‘‘Tusker Project Fame’’, I remember he went up to the third round in this competition. By then I think he was the youngest among the participants in this competition. He soon started becoming popular right from the beginning of the month-long show due to his songs and humorous characters. In that period, South Sudanese in Kenya were named after K-Deng.
Again, in 2013, when Dr. Riek Machar became a rebel leader backed by several renowned and seasonal war commanders, who caused many major towns and cities to fall in rebels’ hands, Dr. Machar was widely admired, for they thought he was soon going to topple President Salva Kiir. In his first visit to Kenya in 2014, Dr. Machar was received in the State house with a red carpet by President Kenyatta. Around that time, Dr. Machar’s portraits were seen in many public vehicles in Nairobi central business district, and in most informal settlements.
Lastly, to cut the story short, I would say K-Deng was a refugee who had been taught and humbled by life itself. And from this shared history, he has not learnt the arts of causing violence, but to relate well with people around him.
Leave alone this unfounded fact that K-Deng funded goons and Gangs to cause chaos, even those of us who are his friends are not known for doing such things. If one could find time to listen to K-Deng’s he would know that he preaches peace and forgiveness in his music.
However, it was only in 2013 after the civil war erupted in Juba on 15th December, that he was seen as a man holding a machine gun in the front-line fighting in self-defense, because as you have heard then, there were international media reports that innocent members of certain ethnic groups were targeted by the armed fighters in South Sudan.
The Writer is the Chairman of Liech Community Association in Kenya; the views expressed here are his own, and he can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com
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