Tyler Mbaya Appeals For Financial Support To Buy Production Equipment And Revive Content Creation

Former Machachari star Tyler Mbaya, popularly known to Kenyans as Baha, is back in the spotlight ,this time asking fans to dig into their pockets. The actor has launched a public fundraiser, appealing to followers for financial support to purchase recording and editing equipment he says he needs before he can resume filming his YouTube series, Budah in Shawt. (Tuko News)

Baha first became a household name across Kenya through his role on Machachari, the long-running Citizen TV production that shaped the childhoods of countless young viewers. (Tuko News) Since the show wrapped, he’s tried to translate that early fame into a career as a digital content creator, building a large following across TikTok and Instagram in the process. His current appeal marks another attempt to relaunch that side of his career, this time centered on his YouTube channel.

The timing of the fundraiser hasn’t gone unnoticed. The appeal comes just weeks after Baha trended online for reasons that cast him in an unflattering light, making his push for financial backing all the more closely watched by fans. (Tuko News) He has also restricted who can comment on the fundraiser posts, a decision that has drawn its own reaction from online observers. (Tuko News)

This isn’t the first time Baha’s financial situation has become a talking point. Back in 2023, he trended after an Instagram user identified as nurse Judy Maina shared a series of stories describing how he’d reached out to her asking for financial help, citing a family eviction and describing himself as an orphan with nowhere else to turn. (BNN) Around the same period, another social media user publicly claimed Baha owed him money and had been slow to repay it, fueling further online speculation about his finances. (BNN)

More recently, reports circulated alleging he’d approached people for money while a family member covered his bills — claims that surfaced shortly before he put his social media accounts up for sale. In July, he listed his TikTok account which boasts a following of more than 450,000 for sale, a move that came alongside a string of cryptic Instagram messages about personal boundaries and faith. (Tuko News) That followed a separate viral video controversy that had already put him back in the headlines, after which he broke his silence on Instagram in characteristically guarded fashion. (Mpasho)

Unsurprisingly, the fresh fundraiser has split opinion online. Some fans appear ready to back the young creator, pointing to his history on Machachari and hoping to see him bounce back with fresh content. Others are more skeptical, referencing the string of controversies and financial appeals that have followed him for years, and questioning whether this latest campaign will actually go toward equipment or something else entirely.

Whether the goodwill translates into real donations remains to be seen. What’s clear is that Tyler Mbaya remains one of Kenya’s most talked-about former child stars, with every move  from a fundraiser to a cryptic Instagram post sparking conversation among fans and critics alike. For now, all eyes are on whether Budah in Shawt actually returns to screens, and whether this chapter marks a genuine turnaround or simply another twist in an already eventful year for the actor-turned-content-creator.

As it stands, the story is still developing, and reactions from both supporters and doubters continue to pour in across TikTok, Instagram, and X. Whether Baha’s next content drop will be the comeback fans are hoping for or fuel for more online scrutiny  is a question only time (and his next upload) will answer.