Nairobi lawyer files a formal complaint against Blankets & Wine organisers.
A Nairobi-based lawyer, Francis Wanjiku, has officially filed a complaint against GoodTimes Africa, the company behind the Blankets & Wine festival. The complaint, submitted to the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), accuses the organisers of misleading consumers and failing to deliver the experience they had advertised.
The complaint focuses on the September 28, 2025, edition of the event, which took place at Laureate Grounds, Kasarani. According to Wanjiku, the organisers engaged in unfair trade practices and violated the Competition Act (Cap. 504) by advertising a “premium experience” that turned out to be “chaotic and substandard.”
“Consumers were lured into paying for a premium experience that never existed,” Wanjiku stated in his filing.
Wanjiku’s complaint invokes Section 9 of the Competition Act, which protects consumers against misleading marketing and false representation. He is asking CAK to open a formal investigation and compel the organisers to refund or compensate affected attendees.
If CAK finds the organisers guilty, they could face hefty fines amounting to 10% of their annual turnover.
The September festival, widely promoted as a classy outdoor celebration of music, culture, and fashion, quickly turned into what many called a “disaster.” Social media was flooded with complaints from disappointed fans who cited: Endless queues and overcrowding. Poor sound quality and technical issues. Delayed performances and chaotic scheduling. Non-functional token systems for drinks and food.
Attendees also claimed that the event oversold tickets, causing congestion and poor service throughout the day.
Ticket buyers say they were promised a “premium experience” with fast service, exclusive lounges, and high-quality sound. However, none of those expectations were met.
Photos and videos posted online showed frustrated crowds, jammed entry points, and malfunctioning systems, painting a picture far from what the organisers had marketed.
“It was chaotic. We felt cheated. What they sold us online was not what we got,” one attendee wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Blankets & Wine has been one of East Africa’s most celebrated festivals for over a decade, hosting major acts such as Burna Boy, Sauti Sol, and Sho Madjozi. However, this latest controversy has dealt a heavy blow to its image as a premium lifestyle brand.
The September event, which was meant to mark a strong comeback after a short break, has instead sparked one of the biggest consumer rights challenges in Kenya’s entertainment scene.
Wanjiku’s move to take the matter to CAK instead of a civil court signals a wider call for accountability in Kenya’s event industry. He argues that hundreds of fans suffered similar losses and deserve justice under consumer protection laws.
“This is not just about one event; it’s about ensuring fairness and honesty in how entertainment products are marketed in Kenya,” he emphasised.
As CAK reviews the complaint, the outcome could set an important precedent for how organisers of large-scale events are held responsible for false advertising and poor service delivery in the future.
