Kenyan hitmaker Bien-Aimé Baraza has opened up about how the decision to pick his wife, Chiki Kuruka, whose real name is Chikwere Onwukwe, as a manager saved their marriage.
Speaking to The Breakfast Club, an American syndicated radio show, on Monday, May 26, 2025, the award-winning artist revealed that their union endured some dark moments before he settled on Chiki as his manager after going solo.
Without delving deeper into what transpired, Bien explained that it was that single decision that saved their relationship, which was on the rocks.
“We had really dark times before she started managing me, and I think when she managed me, that saved our marriage, that saved our relationship,” Bien said on The Breakfast Club.
The celebrity couple had been in a relationship for over seven years before finally tying the knot on March 6, 2020, in a private wedding in Lavington.
“We’ve been together 11 years, she managed me for the last two years. During that entire time, it was just husband and wife, and so when I went solo, I was like you need to manage me, and she was like, okay,” the singer, who is on a musical tour in the US, elaborated.
Chiki’s contribution
Chiki is not only Bien’s wife but also his fitness instructor, choreographer, and manager.
During the interview, the multi-award-winning singer and songwriter heaped praises on Chiki, indicating that she played a critical role in his transition from being a band member to making tremendous strides as a solo artist.
In a well-deserved compliment, Bien said that Chiki keeps him centered, which he credited as key to different milestones he has hit since starting a solo musical journey.
“It has been by far the most rewarding experience of my life. I didn’t think I would have it this easy in my solo career if I didn’t have someone who centres me like her,” Bien stated.
Paying her
At the same time, Bien was forced to clarify whether he had put Chiki on the payroll. However, the Nairobi hitmaker told The Breakfast Club crew that his wife has access to all their finances.
“In my household, the money belongs to the family, and she has access to all of my money, and I have access to all of hers. So we work to build a future for us and our children,” Bien clarified.
Bien’s take on polygamy
During the interview, the issue of polygamy also took centre stage, with The Breakfast Club hosts demanding to know what Bien’s take was and whether he was contemplating getting another wife.
While acknowledging that polygamy is practiced in some African cultures, Bien made it clear that he was not interested in getting a second wife.
“Constitutionally, in Kenya, polygamy is allowed, but do I want another wife? I don’t,” he asserted.
