You cannot earn a living in Kenya solely from acting

Can one earn a living solely from acting, in Kenya?

Not at all. The sector is still very unpredictable, and the money coming in is not good enough. Sometimes this money comes in bits, and not necessarily when you need it, so it is very important for actors to spend any money they receive wisely, always bearing in mind that there is tomorrow.

If you are an actor starting out, go back to school and get a good education because once you have your papers, you can get another job as you wait for the acting gigs to come up or for the producers to roll out your payment. I for instance have a BSc in science, communication and public relations from Moi University, and work for Posta Kenya as a manager in sales, at the Payment Services Department.

How have you been able to remain relevant in the television sector for so long, a sector especially perceived as unpredictable in terms of remuneration? What has been your survival strategy?

By developing all the three aspects that make a person whole – the physical, the intellectual and the spiritual. These three things are very key. I also had to learn to set boundaries early enough, and that has guided my interaction with my fans. Also, after I understood that the monetary rewards were inconsistent, I started investing during the boom times and that is how, when the remuneration is not there, I have something to fall back on. To date, there are still productions that I took part in, but which I have not been paid for.

Has there been a character (or characters) that you found particularly difficult to interpret?

The character Mchungaji in the TV series Mchungaji. I took a while to get into that character because I feared that I needed some qualities that would attract external pressure to behave like a “mchungaji”. Inspector Abu in From A Whisper was also very challenging for me because I was playing a Muslim character and I needed to do a lot of research to understand fundamentalism which was a central organising principle in the film.

Who is your favourite actor? (Perhaps the one who has inspired you in your acting career)

Denzel Washington. I am inspired by his wide reach as an actor – his ability to switch between extreme characters is endlessly fascinating for me. I would also like to get into an intense action film one day and do the stunts.

What are some of the mistakes that you have made in your acting career?

At the beginning, I was quite taken by the attention I was getting from girls and that heady feeling of being a big star in Tausi, but I quickly got myself back on track. I also think that I wasted time before finally deciding to go back to school to improve my education. To all the actors out there, if you have an opportunity to acquire an education, please do.

What advice would you give to a young actor just starting out in television?

You must have a lot of discipline. Recognise that what you are doing is work, and do not let yourself feel bigger than you actually are. Remain humble and let your work speak for itself. Also, when you are consistent, people identify with you and your work and that way, you stay relevant.

You have been on the television screen in Kenya for two-and-a-half decades now, have there been any major growth spurts in television production where technical and creative aspects are concerned?

The technical aspects have improved a great deal. I would highly attribute this to digital growth, which content creators have embraced. We have better picture quality now and technology can be used in areas such as editing. Also, time spent on shooting has been largely reduced. For example, presently we are able to shoot up to 20 scenes in a day. Back then, it was just about five or six scenes in a day.

In terms of creative output though, I am yet to see a Tahamaki or a Tausi. It is as if creativity is sacrificed in the rush to make money. I have had to turn down scripts a couple of times because I could not get through to what I was expected to portray.

What do you think can be done to improve the welfare of actors in Kenya?        

The old guards in acting have set up The Art Society of Kenya (TASK) where we try to enlighten actors (and other artists coming on board) about investment options and the management aspect of their job and push towards having a platform for collective bargaining.

I think the problem has been getting proper leadership for the actors in the country – to bring them together under an umbrella body and champion for their rights.

We have had the Kenya Actor’s Guild, but somehow, that has not been able to push the agenda to the next level.