Veteran Singer Kidum Volunteers Van to Help Burundians Return Home Amid Tensions

Burundian Singer Kidum Jean Pierre bas appealed for calm and restraint amid the growing debate over foreign nationals and small businesses in Kenya, especially Burundians.

In a heartfelt statement shared while on tour in Canada, Kidum said Kenya has been his home since 1995, noting that he is legally married to a Kenyan, has children in Kenyan schools, and has long considered the country his home.

“I am Burundian! I am right now on tour in Canada! Kenya is my home since 1995, and I chose to be Kenyan with all my heart. My wife is Kenyan, and we are legally married and have children, and they are in school in Kenya. Pictures I am getting from Nairobi are not good at all,” he said.

The singer expressed concern over images and reports emerging from Nairobi, questioning why Burundians and Rwandans appeared to be treated badly by Kenyans.

Kidum Calls For Peace

Referring to their everyday interactions such as selling tea and mandazi, he asked whether such ordinary coexistence had suddenly become a crime.

Kidum also called on Burundi’s embassy to support Burundian nationals and ensure that anyone wishing to return home does so peacefully and with dignity.

Also Read: KNCHR Breaks Silence on Ruto Directive Targeting Foreign Traders

He also offered to make his 11-seater van available to help transport people back home if needed.

“Mandazi na chai ama kahawa jameni ni crime !? Our embassy! Could you at least stand for our people so they get a peaceful way to go home with dignity !? I have an 11-seater van; I am ready to put it at anyone’s disposal to take people home,” he said.

Message To Burundians

At the same time, he urged Burundians living in Burundi not to target Kenyans in retaliation, insisting that two wrongs are never right.

“This is political; it shall be solved politically,” he said, while also appealing for Kenyans in Burundi to remain safe and calling for the matter to be resolved through diplomacy rather than conflict.

“Burundians in Burundi ! Don’t touch any Kenyan in Burundi. Don’t do wrong just because others are doing bad things to you. Two wrongs are never right! Keep Kenyans safe in Burundi. This is political; it shall be solved politically. Even Tanzania isiguse wakenya wacha iyi mambo itatuliwe tu ki diplomasia,” Kidum said.

Kidum’s remarks come amid heightened public discussion following President William Ruto’s recent comments that foreign small-scale traders should return to their respective countries.

Also Read: Ruto Issues Fresh Directives to Foreign Traders, Gives Them 90 Days to Comply

Additionally, the remarks have triggered widespread reactions across the region, with government officials later clarifying that legally documented foreign nationals remain protected under Kenyan law.

The singer’s message has since drawn attention online, with many social media users describing it as a call for peace and diplomatic solutions during a tense moment in regional relations.

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Singer Kidum Jean Pierre
PHOTO/Kidum