Jaguar settles Congolese maestro Defao's hotel bill

Kenyan musician Charles Njagua Kanyi, commonly known as Jaguar, has offered to settle an outstanding bill for Congolese maestro General Defao who was detained in a Mombasa hotel on Saturday.

The 55-year-old Congolese had been detained at Rickseaside Villas in Nyali for failing to pay for his food and accommodation.

“Following the unfortunate circumstance of General Defao, who has failed to pay his bill at a Mombasa hotel apartment, I have offered to pay the amount since I am an artist like him and this can happen to any one,” said Jaguar.

Defao was in Mombasa for an event last weekend.

According to the Rhumba musician, a club in Mombasa refused to settle the bill for four extra days he spent at the hotel.

(Read: Congolese musician Defao detained over hotel bill)

The renowned musician said he checked in at the hotel on July 28 and performed last Saturday on July 30.

Defao said that the club management asked him to stay and perform on August 3. He stayed but did not perform.

The Nation established that the bill for the musician's stay at the hotel between July 28 and August 1 was already cleared but the club, Bobs Bar, failed to pay for the additional four days.

“I had another show on Friday in Nairobi but I did not perform after I was detained by the hotel management over the Sh20, 000 hotel bill. I only got to know later that Bobs Bar manager had not paid for the extended stay,” said Defao.

He said the club was supposed to pay him Sh90, 000 for the Wednesday performance but failed even after making him stay for more days.

“After performing on Saturday the manager asked me to stay so that I can perform two songs but I did not perform. The managers also made me miss my Nairobi show which I was to be paid Sh150, 000,” he added.

Defao was performing with a local group in Mombasa, Ambrose Band.

“I want Bobs to clear the hotel bill and pay me Sh90, 000 that was set for Wednesday, and Sh150, 000 that I was to get in Nairobi and pay for my air ticket for Sh5,500,” he said.

“We intended that he perform on Wednesday. We were paying Defao through a local singer called J.P Lola and we told him to clear the bill for the remaining days as we had unsettled debts with him,” said Bobs Bar manager Said Ramadhan.

But in a contradicting statement, Ramadhan said they had no agreement with Defao on his Wednesday performance.

He said that a deal was to be made between Lola and Defao, a claim that Lola denied.

“I went on Tuesday to clear the first bill but the other debt was to be cleared by J.P and not us,” he said.

By the time of going to press, Nairobi based musician, Jaguar had sent Sh20, 000 to one of Mr Defao’s assistants seeking his release at the hotel.