Popular Tanzanian musician Matonya, whose real name is Sefu Shabani Ramadhan, has been acquitted of rape charges by a Mombasa Magistrate Court after a twenty-day legal ordeal.
Speaking outside the courtroom shortly after his clearance, the Vaileti hitmaker described the allegations as a deliberate trap, though he maintained he would not seek legal retribution or press malicious prosecution charges against his accusers.
Expressing a deep affection for his host country, the veteran Bongo Flava artist emphasized his desire to safeguard the long-standing cross-border relationship he has nurtured over a two-decade career.
He affirmed that the legal setback would not deter him from continuing his regular visits to Kenya.
The definitive ruling brought an end to his detention at the Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison in Mombasa.
He had previously been granted release on a KSh 500,000 bond with no alternative cash bail option, alongside strict conditions that required him to surrender his passport to the court and subjected him to an immigration red alert to prevent any unauthorized departure from the country.
The state’s case had centered on an incident allegedly occurring on April 7, 2026, at a residential apartment in the affluent Nyali neighborhood, where Matonya had been residing during a music recording session.
According to police files, the singer and a male companion had returned to the apartment accompanied by two women, one of whom was a mutual acquaintance.
The prosecution had alleged that while the rest of the party retired to the bedrooms, Matonya later entered the living room where the complainant was sleeping on a couch, sexually assaulting and physically attacking her when she attempted to sound an alarm.
Matonya had vehemently denied the charges from his initial arraignment before Chief Magistrate Robinson Ondiek, countering that he was the actual victim of a setup and a theft orchestrated by the women.
After reviewing the case, the court found the artist innocent, culminating in his full acquittal and the restoration of his travel documents.
