Henry Lenga: Telling our stories in our own language

Award-nominated writer, actor, director and producer, Henry Lenga quit his work as a community activist over a decade ago and joined the entertainment industry and he has never looked back. PHOTO| CHARLES KAMAU

Award-nominated writer, actor, director and producer, Henry Lenga quit his work as a community activist over a decade ago and joined the entertainment industry and he has never looked back. He was nominated for best director for a TV series during this year’s Riverwood Awards for the hit show Sumu. He spoke to ActScene about Kenya’s film industry and why he prefers to do his shows mostly in Swahili.

 

Why did you change from community activism to film industry?

It has been a long journey for me and I remember I started out as a community actor. Through my work as a community organiser, I saw what the youth were going through and I thought acting will be a good way to make a change.

 

What was the first show you did and why did you stop acting and start directing?

The first show which I did was called Majaliwa, which was very popular. I haven’t stopped acting but what I have done is give other people the opportunity to showcase their talent. I am more comfortable behind the camera, but I still appear as an extra in some of the shows.

 

Why do you prefer to do your shows in Swahili? 

Most of our shows are written and produced in Mombasa, and as you know the majority speak in Swahili. Our objective is to tell our own stories in our own language. An actor will be more comfortable with the language that is easy to them. Swahili is such a beautiful language and it is also our national language.

 

Do you concentrate only on TV or you also do movies?

We have done very many movies and I remember we were the pioneers of Maisha Magic East when it launched. We were tasked to do both movies and TV shows in Swahili. I can say we have done over 100 movies for Maisha Magic East.

 

Having been in the industry for over a decade, what changes have you see in Kenya?

I can say the industry has changed a lot, especially after Maisha Magic East pitched tent in Kenya. They invested a lot and have given Kenyan content writers and actors the opportunity to showcase their talents. I can also commend the government for changing the ratio of local and international content which favours the Kenyan entertainment industry. I can also say that in the last three years, Mombasa has grown to become a county that produces lots of local content. Nairobi based actors have been flocking to Mombasa so as to be featured in the shows we do.  

 

Where did you grow up and are you a family man?

Born and raised in Mombasa, a husband and a father of four.