The acclaimed judges of East Africa’s music talent reality show caused a storm when they announced this week’s Tusker academy probation list, which inflated anger to the audience and the academy’s teachers.

Ian Mbugua, famous for his straight forward remarks failed when he provoked the crowd by reducing a powerful performance by Uganda’s Maureen to ‘shouting’ and ending by rubbish her hair style, of all things.

He later concluded the probation list by naming Maureen, drawing repeated calls of "Ian should go, Ian should go” from the academy audience.

The discontent continued when the teachers followed one by one by faulting the judges’ decisions, rebuking them for fearing to nominate popular contestants who deserved to be nominated as well as having poor appreciation of Lokua Kanza, whose rendition Rwanda’s Nina did magnificently.

Nina was very unfortunate to sing Lokua’s Happiness and manage to capture the melancholic mood in the song perfectly only to unexpectedly get a cold reaction from the judges, who accused her of a poor choice of song.

However, in what is bound to be seen as an uninformed perception by a Kenyan judge of a French-Lingala ballad, Judge Juliana disagreed with Ian and credited Nina for expressing the genuine sad mood in the song successfully.

Tanzanians will also be shocked that Illuminata who pulled up the best show during her time in the house with Angelique Kidjo’s Wewe somehow landed herself on probation. The nomination of Maureen, Nina and Illuminata is bound to cost the academy judges their credibility.

This week will most definitely see Rwanda’s Christian in trouble again, because his vocal range seems to be letting him down.

My bet is that Christian and his sweetheart Illuminata reach the final vote by contestants and whoever emerges unscathed form that will depend on the new alliances that will be forged in the houses this week.

Meanwhile Kenya’s Patricia, Uganda’s Caro, Rwanda’s Alpha and Kenya’s Debarl made the strongest showing on the Africa night.

Alpha has emerged form a shaky fast week to stamp himself as one the early crowd favourites to last long in the academy which bids well for Rwanda’s hopes of bringing the money home.

Let’s keep voting for our dear Christian and Nina.

Ends