Ugandan music heavyweight Bebe Cool is turning heads and winning hearts in Nairobi as he promotes his brand-new album, Break the Chains. The veteran hitmaker jetted into the Kenyan capital on Tuesday and hit the ground running with a press conference and a whirlwind media tour that’s got fans and journalists alike talking.
The album, which Bebe Cool says is about “breaking mental boundaries” and pushing artistic limits, has already sparked a lively debate among Kenya’s top entertainment personalities over which track reigns supreme.
On Kiss FM, presenter Muchina named Motivation as his personal favorite, while his co-host Cyd couldn’t get enough of Check, Bebe Cool’s upbeat collaboration with Uganda’s rising star Joshua Baraka.
“Check is fire,” Cyd said. “It’s the kind of song that makes you dance whether you like it or not.”
And it seems she’s not alone. During a live show on Nation FM, when Bebe Cool met students from Mitaboni ABC Girls School, the room erupted when they were asked which song they wanted to sing with him — they all screamed “Check!” in perfect unison.
Over at Sound City FM, Joy Ogwedhi raved about African Love, a sultry duet between Bebe Cool and Nigerian pop queen Yemi Alade.
“Yemi Alade is a princess, and that song is just beautiful,” Joy said. She also gave Cheque (ft. Baraka) a thumbs-up, calling Joshua “a big talent from Uganda with a voice we can’t get enough of.”
Meanwhile, Remmy Majala of K24 was all about Home, calling it “a different vibe” and praising the way the whole album was crafted.
“It just takes you somewhere else. I’m glad I listened to the whole project,” she said.
Her co-host Tony Mwirigi had a fanboy moment of his own — trying to belt out lyrics from Bebe Cool’s Mbozi za Malwa (his collab with Sauti Sol), before revealing that Motivation was his standout track.
“I played it for my wife yesterday, and she hasn’t stopped playing it since,” he laughed.
Tony also took time to appreciate Bebe Cool’s role in building the East African music movement, noting his early collabs with Nazizi and Wyre under the East African Bashment Crew, and later, with Sauti Sol.
In fact, Bebe Cool’s return to Nairobi felt like a full-circle moment. He launched his music career here in the early 2000s, and during this promotional trip, he reunited with some familiar faces — including Wyre, Nazizi, and legendary Kenyan designer Fundi Frank, the man behind his first-ever performance outfit.
“Frank gave me my first look as a performer,” Bebe Cool shared. “It’s emotional coming back here. Nairobi made me who I am.”
Fundi Frank, who’s also a pioneer of Kenyan hip-hop, praised Bebe Cool’s consistency.
“Not many artists from our era are still this relevant. Bebe’s journey is inspiring,” he said.
In interviews, Bebe Cool opened up about his humble beginnings in Nairobi — from sleeping in a single-room setup shared with a security guard, to finally recording in a studio that doubled as his home.
Looking at the region’s music scene today, he feels East Africa still has untapped potential.
“After seeing a Kenyan artist perform with Buju Banton in Uganda, I told myself — I belong in Kenya too. I had to be part of that wave,” he said.
Break the Chains is Bebe Cool’s boldest project yet — a sonic reset and a message to younger artists that nothing is out of reach.
“This is the most honest I’ve ever been in my music. I want this album to open doors — not just for me, but for every East African artist dreaming big,” he said.
And the journey’s just beginning. Nairobi was stop number one on Bebe Cool’s African tour. Next up: Tanzania, then Rwanda, and later South Africa — as the Ugandan superstar takes Break the Chains across the continent.
