Court Orders mTickets CEO Brian Okinyi to Refund Sh527,000 to Event Organizer After Ticket Revenue Dispute

The founder and chief executive officer of mTickets Kenya, Brian Okinyi, has been ordered by a court to refund more than Sh527,000 to an Eldoret event organizer after failing to remit ticket sales collected through the company’s platform.

The ruling by the Eldoret Small Claims Court is a major victory for event promoter Marcelina Kiplagat, whose company, Vibrant Vibes Entertainment, organized the highly publicized Backyard Soiree concert that brought South African Amapiano star Tyler ICU to Eldoret in October 2025.

The dispute centered on ticket revenue collected by mTickets, one of Kenya’s leading digital ticketing platforms. According to court documents, Vibrant Vibes Entertainment entered into an agreement with mTickets and Baniyas Square Lounge under which the ticketing company would collect and remit proceeds from ticket sales for the event held at Rupa Grounds on October 5, 2025.

Tickets were sold at Sh1,000 for early bird purchases, Sh1,500 during the advance sales phase and Sh2,000 at the gate. The event attracted 359 paying attendees and generated total revenue of Sh565,800 through the mTickets platform.

Under the agreement, mTickets was entitled to an 8 percent commission on every ticket sold. After deducting its commission of Sh39,606, the company was expected to transfer Sh526,194 to the organizer within 72 hours after the event.

But the money never arrived.

Kiplagat told the court that the failure to release the funds left her struggling to settle obligations amounting to nearly Sh1 million owed to performers, suppliers and service providers who had worked on the concert.

She further stated that despite numerous follow-ups and attempts to resolve the matter outside court, the funds remained unpaid, forcing her to seek legal intervention.

In his defense, Okinyi denied that a valid service agreement existed between the parties. He also argued that the suit had been filed prematurely, claiming the parties had failed to first pursue dispute resolution mechanisms outlined in the contract.

However, the court found his arguments unconvincing.

In its judgment, the court concluded that sufficient evidence had been presented to prove the existence of a contractual relationship between the parties. Among the evidence produced was an agreement dated September 15, 2025, as well as ticket sales statements generated by the mTickets platform itself.

The court noted that while the agreement had only been signed by Okinyi, the claimant had demonstrated that the parties had a prior working relationship and had previously conducted business under similar arrangements.

The judge further observed that ticket sales records generated by mTickets strongly supported Kiplagat’s claim that the company had collected revenue on behalf of the event and was therefore obligated to remit the funds.

“The existence of such records, originating from the Respondent, corroborates the Claimant’s assertion that the Respondent provided ticketing services for the event,” the court ruled.

The court also dismissed Okinyi’s claim that the case had been filed prematurely, noting that he failed to provide evidence supporting his position.

Consequently, the court ordered him to pay Sh527,923 to the organizer, bringing to a close a dispute that has attracted attention within Kenya’s entertainment industry.

The ruling is expected to send a strong message to digital ticketing firms and event service providers about the importance of honoring contractual obligations and promptly remitting funds collected on behalf of clients.

For event organizers who increasingly rely on online ticketing platforms to manage sales and cash flows, the judgment underscores the legal protections available when contractual agreements are breached and revenues fail to reach their intended recipients.