People don't understand! Sauti Sol's Chimano speaks on his sexuality

Chimano of Sauti Sol | Spotify

Willis Austin Chimano, member of Kenyan boys band Sauti Sol has opened up about his sexuality.

In an interview with The Guardian, the artist revealed he ‘wore a mask’, hiding the fact that he is gay.

The artist had never considered coming out as gay. He embraced his queerness quietly in his private life.

“I had to do everything in my power to keep my sexuality hidden," he told The Guardian.

He said even though his bandmates knew about this and were supportive, he decided not to go public for fear that he would not be accepted by the public.

“I was scared that it could ruin our chances at becoming bigger,” Chimano said.

Since the formation of the afropop band Sauti Sol in 2005, Chimano’s sexuality was not made public until 2018 when a photo of him with his partner hit the internet.

Still in fear that his queerness would have been a scandal, the artist was outed on social media, and netizens went wild.

Mainstream media was not left behind and went on to circulate the photo.

“People were saying, you’re a sinner, it goes against the laws of nature, it’s against African culture. There’s a larger societal belief that what queer people are doing is wrong. People don’t understand,” Chimano was quoted in the interview with The Guardian.

Even after being outed, Chimano never addressed this publicly to the media.

In 2021, the Sauti Sol member publicly said, for the first time, that he was part of the queer community. He became the first major Kenyan artist to openly identify as queer.

Despite the fear that coming out would damage the band’s success, the band went on to soar to greater heights, including signing a deal with Universal Music.

Since Sauti Sol announced taking a break for members to explore solo opportunities, Chimano has been working as a solo artist.

He has performed songs from his EP in Australia, France, and the UK.

Additionally, Chimano hopes to publish his memoir in 2026, as well as the release of his debut album sometime next year.