Gondwana KE turns nine — and Nairobi's afro house moment has never been bigger

On 1 June 2026, something significant happens at Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi. Three of South Africa's most celebrated afro house DJs — Enoo Napa, Caiiro and Da Capo — will share a single decks setup for a back-to-back-to-back set, brought to Kenya by the collective that has spent nine years quietly, consistently building the infrastructure for this exact moment.

Gondwana KE turns nine this year. And they are celebrating the way they have always done things — by bringing the world's best to Nairobi and proving, once again, that this city is ready for it.

The B3B: three artists, one unmissable set

Enoo Napa, Caiiro and Da Capo have become one of the most in-demand collaborative bookings in global electronic music. Their back-to-back-to-back format has sold out Outernet London and packed The Cause on the Thames. Together, Caiiro delivers his signature blend of emotional house and afro-tech, Da Capo brings his ability to craft infectious dancefloor-shaking rhythms, while Enoo Napa layers in dark synths, atmospheric backdrops and raw afro beats infused with high energy.

All three are programmed on Tomorrowland's dedicated deep afro house stage for 2026 — a genre that Splice named the sound of 2025, with 778 percent year-on-year download growth, and Beatport moved from the twenty-third to the fourth most-searched genre in just two years. Bringing this trio to Nairobi is not a small thing. It is a statement. 

Also on the bill: Simmy Music SA and Wemi, who round out an international contingent that covers the full emotional and sonic range of where afro house sits in 2026.

The hometown heroes: Ms Bune and DJ IV

As significant as the international lineup is, two names on the Carnivore bill carry a different kind of weight — because they are ours.

Ms Bune — born Tsion Tesfaye, raised in Addis Ababa and Nairobi-adopted since her teens — has in three years built a career that spans nightclub residencies and festival stages, culminating in her debut at the Blankets and Wine Festival in 2025 on the OnjaOnja stage, described as a platform for producers-turned-DJs creating the new sounds of Africa. She describes herself as more Kenyanised than ever, and her sound — rooted in deep, percussive afro house — reflects exactly that identity. She is the kind of DJ who earns her bookings through consistency and craft, not noise.

DJ IV is the other half of Nairobi's rising afro house duo making serious ground in the scene. Together with Ms Bune, they represent the clearest evidence yet that Kenya is not just importing afro house — it is beginning to produce it, shape it and own it.

Their inclusion on the 1 June lineup is intentional. This is Gondwana KE doing what they have always done: building the local scene, not just booking the international one.

Why Carnivore Grounds is the right venue

Carnivore Grounds is one of Nairobi's most iconic outdoor event spaces — a venue with the scale to hold a crowd worthy of this lineup and the open-air energy that afro house sets demand. For an anniversary event with this much history behind it and this much talent on the bill, the venue choice is deliberate. Gondwana KE has always understood that the environment is part of the experience — from their early Captain's Terrace sundowners overlooking Nairobi National Park to immersive events inside the park itself.

Nine years of building something real

What started as a fun idea for Suraj Mandavia in 2015, before collaborating with partner Eugene Onyango in 2016 and officially forming a functional machine by 2017, Gondwana's journey has been nothing short of inspiring. The founding insight was straightforward: there was no representation of African electronic culture in Nairobi's scene — but there was music that could bridge the gap through the instruments, sounds and rhythms rooted in the continent.

 DJ Suraj has since toured Africa's biggest festivals — Nyege Nyege, Beneath The Baobab, Blankets and Wine — alongside international showcases in Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, Dubai, Cape Town and Durban. Earlier this year, Gondwana KE partnered with Shimza's Kunye Records to turn Uhuru Gardens into a 12-hour afro house marathon that confirmed just how ready Nairobi's audience has become. 

Nine years in, the anniversary event is not just a celebration. It is a demonstration of everything the scene has built — and a clear signal of where it is heading.

The details

Date: Sunday, 1 June 2026
Venue: Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi
Lineup: Enoo Napa B3B Caiiro B3B Da Capo | Simi SA | Wemi | Ms Bune | DJ IV
Presented by: Gondwana KE

Follow @gondwana_ke on Instagram for tickets and updates.