A man who robbed and assaulted a female comedian at the Kutit Cultural Festival in Nairobi’s Carnivore Gardens on August 9, 2025, has been charged with robbery and assault causing bodily harm.
On Tuesday, Bernard Kipkosgei Koyumi, also known as Pavilion Motiryot, was formally charged by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Kibera Law Court over the attack on comedian Carren Chepchumba, who is popularly known as Bella Comedy.
According to court documents, Koyumi was arrested on Monday and detained before appearing in court on Tuesday.
The court heard that, on August 9, 2025, the accused robbed Chepchumba of Sh30,000 in cash and a Redmi 14 Pro phone, worth Sh26,000, during the Kutit Festival at Carnivore Gardens in Langata sub-county, Nairobi.
He was also accused of assaulting her at around 8pm on the same day, resulting in serious injuries to her leg, stomach and chest.
On August 9, 2025, Bella Comedy attended the Kutit Culture event at Carnivore. While there, she met other content creators and enjoyed the music with them.
It was during this content creation that she encountered the accused, who dragged her and assaulted her with kicks and blows, resulting in multiple injuries to her leg, stomach and chest.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges before Principal Magistrate Christine Njagi and was released on Sh500,000 bond. The case will be mentioned on August 18, 2025.
A video of the violent assault, which has been widely shared online, shows Pavilion and another man physically attacking Bella Comedy.
In the footage, she is seen kneeling before being pulled up and repeatedly punched in the stomach. The incident sparked public outrage and condemnation.
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi denounced the assault, calling it unacceptable.
“The assault on Bella Comedy by Motiriot Kipkosgei, also known as Pavilion Kipkosgei or Pavilion Lounge, is concerning. Violence against women is unacceptable. Kipkosgei, hand yourself in at the nearest police station,” he said.
Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana also condemned the assault, stressing the need to address gender-based violence.
“Totally unacceptable, violence against women has no place in our society. We must stand united to protect, respect, and uphold dignity. No one, man or woman, should face violence, disputes must be handled lawfully, and the law must take its course to ensure justice for all,” she said.
On her part, Bella described the assault as humiliating and denied the businessman’s allegations that she had defamed him online.
“You said that I have soiled your name online, but did you report me? You should have reported me if that was so. Why are you beating me? How many people have reposted your story? Am I the only one? I have not even posted anything about that child. My content is that I am doing it after it trends. I cover trending things only,” she said.
She claimed that Pavilion later attempted to reach out to her, but she refused to forgive him or settle the matter privately.
The Kutit Culture organisers distanced themselves from the incident, stating their willingness to cooperate fully with authorities.
“Kutit Culture has learnt of a disturbing incident, captured in a video circulating online, showing a lady being assaulted. We wish to make it clear that this act was not in any way sanctioned or connected to our event. We strongly condemn any form of violence and reiterate our commitment to creating safe, respectful spaces for all. Should the matter be reported to the relevant authorities, we are fully willing to cooperate and assist in any investigations,” they said.
