Zambia cancels Koffi Olomide show after kicking dancer in Kenya

What you need to know:

  • The 60-year-old rumba singer is hugely popular across Africa
  • Olomide was on Friday arrested and expelled from Kenya after he was caught on camera kicking one of his female dancers

Zambian authorities said on Sunday they had called off a planned show by Congolese singer Koffi Olomide following his deportation from Kenya for kicking one of his female dancers.

Olomide was scheduled to perform at the annual agricultural trade show in Lusaka this week.

"Following the reported unfortunate incident in Kenya concerning Koffi Olomide, the Agricultural and Commercial Show Society of Zambia has decided to cancel his performance during this year’s show," Ben Shoko, head of the society said in a statement.

The 60-year-old rumba singer, hugely popular across Africa, was on Friday arrested and expelled from Kenya after he was caught on camera kicking out violently at a dancer in full view of two Kenyan policemen as he arrived at Nairobi's international airport.

The incident sparked a storm of criticism after footage of the incident went viral on social media

Four years ago, Olomide, who has put out more than two dozen albums and won several industry awards, was given a three-month suspended jail term in Kinshasa for assaulting a producer.