Just Who Was Christopher Monyoncho?

This is the question many commentators online kept asking after a short Tiktok clip by Kamba guitar sensation Tumbo Usu went viral.

In the clip, Tumbo displays impressive finger dexterity on the fretboard, showcasing his guitar expertise by performing an old Benga song titled Safari ya Kericho, originally sung by Kijana Musyoki and his Kimangu Boys Band. The song, which was a regular feature on KBC radio in the 1990s, seemed to evoke fond memories for many. The viral clip rekindled nostalgia and curiosity, particularly around the song’s subject matter. It was done as a tribute by the Kamba Benga supremo in recognition of his Kisii counterparts, a duo identified as Christopher Monyoncho and Christopher wa Nyarogendo.

“Twaenda Kisii tukamuone Monyoncho pamoja na Christopher wa Nyarogendo,” sings a line in the song.

After a few lines of intricate guitar play, he hums the line again, and the addictive melody and tight groove undoubtedly get every keen listener hooked, creating a thirst to know more about the song and especially about the musicians it mentions.

One listener, Omari Junior, offered this explanation in response:

"Christopher Monyoncho was a Kisii Benga artist whose mastery of the strings attracted Kamba Benga musicians. He used to record at a studio in Kericho. He was born in Kegogi, Kitutu Chache North. He was widely known as ‘Riyo ri’ebasweti’, meaning ‘python skin,’ because he never aged at what he did best.”

That Kenya has never invested seriously in documenting its artistic history only means that even those who had a significant national impact have been covered only sketchily. Very scanty information about them is available for public consumption.

“When I was a freshman at Moi University back in 1990, my Kamba classmates would ask me if I knew Christopher Monyoncho. Apparently, the guy had been beloved Kule Ukambani since the 1970s. It’s interesting to see a youngster from Ukambani singing today about the late Kisii musician,” offered another reader, Ben Moses Nyang’wara.

Having evolved in central Nyanza in the 1950s and 1960s, Benga began its countrywide tour soon after. Kisii, through Monyoncho, emerged as one of its strongest outposts. The Kisii region, once part of what was known as South Nyanza but now split into Kisii and Nyamira counties, produced one of Benga’s earliest superstars.

Apart from penetrating northward into Luhyaland, Benga also spread into Central Kenya and Ukambani, eventually becoming a national genre.
Born in Kitutu Chache (Kegogi Ward) in 1945, Monyoncho lost his parents, Mazee Araka Ndiege and Cinsilia Moraa, early in life and began working at a young age. He sought menial jobs, a journey that took him across the border into Tanzania after dropping out of school. In the early 1970s, he worked as a casual laborer in multinational tea plantations in Kericho. The harsh conditions he and his colleagues faced inspired one of his most iconic songs, Emeremo ya Masamba.

In 1975, he founded Kegogi Jazz, alongside John Sitora, Charles Omweri, Andrew Gitenyi, and others. The band gained popularity rapidly, not just in Kisii but across the region. With Kegogi Jazz, Monyoncho recorded hundreds of songs over the years, cementing his status as a household name. His music was immensely popular on the radio, in the streets, in clubs, and in villages. He was even bitten by the political bug, successfully contesting for a councilor seat in 1992. He served until 1997, an experience he later captured in the song Kumbe Siasa Namechando.

Although his music broadly fell under the Benga category, Monyoncho’s style was distinctive. It incorporated elements of traditional Abagusii music, and he mostly sang in his native language. Some of his well-known hits include: Emeremo ya Masamba, Entereba Egatinda Ekarara, Yovensia Moraa, Ogosira kwa Joyce, Etoyota, among many others. He passed away in October 2013 at a hospital in Kisii, where he had been admitted after attending a friend’s funeral in Nairobi. He was 68.

Christopher Monyoncho wasn’t just a successful musician; he was a cultural icon. He is considered by many to be the most successful Kisii musician to date and remains an inspiration to a whole generation of artists who came after him. Today, the Kisii region boasts some of the country’s most prominent Benga musicians, a legacy that can be traced back to the python-skin guitarist from Kegogi.

 By Jerome Ogola

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Tune in to Benga Blast by The Rumba Monk every Saturday and Sunday at 4 PM for a vibrant celebration of Kenyan Benga music! Born in Central Nyanza in the 1950s, Benga’s electrifying guitar riffs, infectious rhythms, and soulful melodies spread to Kisii, Ukambani, and beyond, becoming Kenya’s iconic national genre. Relive the magic of legends like Christopher Monyoncho with hits like Emeremo ya Masamba and discover modern tributes keeping Benga alive. Join us on www.jabulaniradio.com for a nostalgic, high-energy journey through Kenya’s musical heritage!