Musician Bien-Aimé Baraza has revealed that organisers of Sol Fest spent about Sh 9 million on security during the festival’s previous edition, underscoring the scale of measures put in place to protect attendees.
The Sauti Sol member said the organisers consider security a critical part of the festival experience and are willing to spend heavily on it even if it means reducing their profits.
Bien made the revelation while discussing the preparations behind Sol Fest and the extensive security operation deployed during the event.
He explained that organisers use several layers of security personnel from the moment attendees approach the venue until they leave.
According to the musician, the security operation includes private security guards, police officers, plainclothes personnel and specialised government security teams.
The organisers also work with G4S, officers from Lang’ata Police Station, the station’s Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Bien said Sol Fest maintains a significant security-to-attendee ratio, with approximately one security officer for every 20 people.
The ratio forms part of a wider strategy designed to prevent incidents that can affect concertgoers, including theft and phone snatching, while allowing the festival to maintain a safe environment.
“There’s layers of security in Sol Fest, man, from the time ufikiaapo kwenye kuingia,” Bien said, describing the security operation from the moment attendees arrive at the venue.
He said organisers deliberately build several security layers rather than relying on one group of guards. Bien revealed that organisers spent approximately Sh.9 million on security alone during the previous Sol Fest.
The figure highlights the amount that large-scale music events can spend on security before factoring in other major costs such as artist fees, venue hire, staging, sound, lighting, marketing, staffing and logistics.
For Sol Fest organisers, however, Bien said security remains a non-negotiable expense.
He explained that the team would rather make less money from the festival than compromise the experience or safety of people who attend.
“Experience comes first. I’d rather we even break even, but give people the experience,” he said.
The musician explained that Sol Fest’s security strategy does not begin when attendees reach the main entrance. Instead, several security layers operate around the event, with different teams responsible for different aspects of crowd management and safety.
This approach allows organisers to monitor the environment from the arrival points through the entrance process and into the main event area.
Bien credited the team behind Sol Fest’s security planning for maintaining the festival’s standards. The musician said their efforts help ensure that the festival does not compromise on safety as it grows.
“I really wanna thank my team, the B Company, Zahida and Kabutha, for just being in on about that stuff and making sure that we can never go down on security,” he said.
Bien also linked the investment in security to the reputation that Sol Fest wants to build among its audience.
For him, a successful festival is not simply one that makes money. It is one where attendees leave with a positive experience and confidence in the event.
“A good name is better currency than anything I can ever give,” he said.
