Kenyan comedian Crazy Kennar turned a high-profile forum in Rwanda on August 24 into an unexpected viral moment, stepping up to the microphone during a formal press conference to ask President Paul Kagame for a selfie in honor of his late father’s advice.
Content creation can take a person to unimaginable places, a lesson Kenyan comedian Kennedy Odhiambo—widely known as Crazy Kennar—learned firsthand in Kigali. Attending the Africa Mindset Reset Forum hosted by the Africa School of Governance on August 24, 2026, Kennar bypassed traditional inquiries regarding business partnerships or regional deals during an official press conference. Instead, he made a direct, personal appeal to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
An Unusual Request at the Africa Mindset Reset Forum in Kigali
The gathering brought together change-makers, leaders, and innovators to discuss institutional strengthening, capital mobilization, and home-grown solutions for the continent’s development. Set against a formal backdrop featuring national and East African Community flags alongside a Rwanda Broadcasting Agency broadcast feed, the proceedings took an unexpectedly lighthearted turn when Kennar took the floor.
“Lastly, Mr President, my father usually says that content can take people places. I just requested a selfie to show him that I met the president of Rwanda,”
Kennedy Odhiambo (Crazy Kennar)
The candid exchange prompted immediate laughter and eventual applause from the assembled audience in the room. Responding to the comedian’s straightforward pitch, President Kagame offered a warm retort before the two posed for photographs.
How President Kagame and the Audience Responded
Video footage of the interaction captured Kagame responding with humor, telling the creator, I will give you two.
As Kennar walked to the front where Kagame was seated, the Rwandan leader jokingly asked him whether he was supposed to stand or stay seated, adding to the playful atmosphere of the official press briefing with Kennar leaning towards Kagame as they took the photos.
Following the encounter, Kennar posted the resulting photograph across his social media channels with the caption: This is what happened today😅😅. It was an honour to meet the president of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame, at The Africa Mindset Reset Forum hosted by Africa School of Governance.
The event itself focused on Africa’s ability to define its own priorities, harness technology, move from dialogue to practical action, and explore the concept of Meta-Africanism
to build systems and strengthen Africa’s capacity to deliver development outcomes amidst shifting geopolitics and tightening development finance.
Social Media Reactions and Academic Milestones
User @Tr3blig_ remarked: Instead of asking for partnerships, business deals, he requested a selfie😂😂😂.
Another commenter, @Ssempijjastanle, observed: Content can take you anywhere. Crazy Kennar took that literally. 😂👏🏾 What a moment.
Additional reactions included @EMMS05549883 noting, So, this is why he never makes fun of Rwanda and the people of Rwanda,
while @eyebare asked, What if he told him to stand?😂😂😂,
and @rashidmbwiza stated, He is who he thinks he is.
Other users chimed in, with @odnat_1 suggesting Awesome 🙌🏽 next a selfie with President Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan,
@JacklineAk44666 declaring As long as a Kenyan is featured, we are just winning everywhere,
@filbertmay commenting that That would be hard for the Ugandan President to accept that closeness,
and @Kingsmind254 writing, I love seeing dreams come true.
Beyond his viral social media moments, Kennar has continued balancing his entertainment enterprise—which includes his relatable observational comedy, viral African presidents’ skits, and the groundbreaking comedy show Happy Country that blends satire and humour to address societal issues—with rigorous academic pursuits. Recent updates show the comedian achieving impressive academic results from Johannesburg’s AFDA School for the Creative Economy, including top marks such as a perfect 100 in screenwriting that qualify him to advance to his third year. He accomplished this by balancing his studies with his career and family by flying between Kenya and South Africa on weekends, treating the travel expenses as an investment in his craft.
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