Blankets & Wine denies receiving any legal summons over September festival after public backlash

The organisers of Blankets & Wine have clarified that they have not received any legal summons or formal communication regarding reports circulating in the media alleging that a complaint had been filed with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) following its September edition.

This comes after Lawyer Francis Wanjiku previously said he had filed a formal complaint with CAK over the September 28 event held at Kasarani's Laureate Grounds, citing unfair trade practices and consumer welfare concerns. 

Wanjiku said he wanted the authority to investigate the event under Section 9 of the Competition Act (Cap. 504), arguing that paying revellers were subjected to a poorly managed experience that did not match the advertised premium standards during the event headlined by Afrobeats star Tems. 

However, according to the festival’s Creative Director Muthoni Ndonga, also known as Muthoni Drummer Queen, no such complaint has reached their desk yet.

“We have officially not received any legal summons. We learned of this information through the media. Should we receive any notice from the Authority, we will follow due process,” said Muthoni.

“Our festival is about mission. We are here to build the arts and culture ecosystem, and that continues to be our focus.”

The clarification came during a stakeholder briefing held ahead of the festival’s 17th anniversary season. The session brought together long-standing partners and members of Kenya’s creative community for a retrospective discussion on the festival’s 16-year journey.

The panel included Head of Festivals Justine Mbugua, Brand Manager Michelle Njeri, and Communications Manager Diane Ywaya, who reflected on Blankets & Wine’s evolution from its early editions at Hillcrest, Mamba Village, and Carnivore to its current multi-stage format and year-round cultural programming.

Mbugua acknowledged the challenges of running large-scale cultural events within Kenya’s limited entertainment infrastructure and said lessons from the September edition had prompted a full internal review.

“Kenyan venues are a blank slate. We are still creating a space where music and community thrive,” she said.

“We have come a long way in 16 years, but we still have a way to go. We thank Kenyans for standing with us and look forward to co-creating the future with them as we turn 17.”

In a previous update to attendees on October 9, Blankets & Wine had acknowledged delays in bar service, mobile-money congestion, VIP layout challenges, and sound-coverage inconsistencies during the September event.

They attributed these to “network strain, bottlenecks in redundancy activation, and sound distribution gaps on the live stage.”

Since then, the organisers say they have initiated a series of corrective measures ahead of the Kenyan Summer 2025 edition, scheduled for December 21 at Laureate Gardens, Kasarani.

These include strengthened payment systems, expanded cash and card options at select bars, re-planned VIP layouts, the onboarding of a dedicated hospitality manager, upgraded sound distribution, and a new on-site water and soft-drink distribution model.

“After sixteen years of learning and growth, our aim is not simply to return, but to raise the bar,” said Muthoni.

“Blankets & Wine has always been about community, culture and creative expression - for Kenyan Summer 2025, we are ensuring the infrastructure reflects that ambition.”