Media personality Azziad Nasenya has finally spoken out about her involvement in the now-defunct Talanta Hela Council, dismissing persistent public assumptions that she and other council members received payment for their roles in the programme.
In a statement, Azziad said, “We were never paid.”
Launched as a government-backed strategy to support and formalise talent in Kenya’s creative and sports sectors, the Talanta Hela initiative initially raised high hopes among young creatives and performers.
Its stated aim was to help monetise raw talent, foster artistic growth and create tangible pathways for youth engagement in Kenya’s burgeoning creative economy.
However, the programme soon became a focal point of controversy — with debates around its structure, transparency and the perceived benefits afforded to those involved.
Azziad, who first gained widespread fame in 2020 after her viral participation in the “Utawezana” dance challenge, was appointed to the Creatives Technical Committee of the Talanta Hela Council by Sports, Youth Affairs, and Arts Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba in early 2023.
The appointment placed her alongside other high-profile figures tasked with guiding the creative direction of the programme.
But by mid-2023, the council was essentially disbanded. In June of that year, a Gazette notice formally revoked the establishment of the Talanta Hela Council and its committees — nullifying Azziad’s appointment and those of other members, including comedians and musicians.
Critics pointed to a High Court suspension of parts of the programme and growing public backlash as contributing factors to the abrupt reversal.
Since then, Azziad’s public engagement with the subject has been minimal — until now.
In her latest remarks, made amidst a backdrop of broader scrutiny around her personal finances and public standing, she tackled one of the core misconceptions head-on: that Talanta Hela members were financially compensated.
“We were never paid,” she said, emphasising that her service was advisory and voluntary.
According to Azziad, she and her colleagues participated out of a genuine desire to uplift Kenya’s young creatives rather than for personal financial benefit.
This clarification arrives at a time when Azziad has been facing intense media attention not only about her involvement in Talanta Hela but also over separate financial matters.
CS Namwamba, who appointed Azziad to the committee, later publicly defended her, stressing that she was included to represent young creatives and urging the public against spreading personal rumours about her.
He pointed out that criticisms of Talanta Hela often veered into personal attacks rather than substantive dialogue around the intent of the initiative.