ONE ON ONE: Wambilianga

If you happen to attend the live recording of the biggest comic show in Kenya, Churchill Show, every Thursday night at the Carnivore, one unique, witty character that you won’t help but notice is Wambilianga portrayed by Duncan Kipkemei Kirwa.

Barely five months since coming on to the Churchill show that airs every Sunday on NTV, the 25-year-old has cemented his place on the main show due to his unique style of comic story telling.

With the increasing fame that he seems to be amassing every single day, Tomas Matiko set out to find more about him

First things first, how did you end up on the Churchill Show?

It was in August 2017 when Churchill and his team were touring different regions in the country to identify fresh comic talent. I heard of the auditions planned for Eldoret and my friends encouraged me to try. When I got to the auditions on the set date, I found about 100 others ready to fight it out; that made me nervous. But I chose to do my thing as I had prepared to do and when my time came, I cracked up the judges. They loved my sense of humour and when I was picked they recommended me to join the main live recording team that I have remained a part of to date.     

Your stage name, Wambilianga, how did it come about?

I started by using my real name, Duncan, on stage. However it got to a point when I felt I needed to a have a name that identified with the character I portray and Wambilianga was the immediate name that crossed my mind. I find the name to be funny and that’s how I stuck with it.

Your tagline on stage,  ‘Waaaaah’ has become very popular with the crowd and fellow comedians, is it for the show or is it part of your normal way of talking?

Honestly I never thought it would turn out to be humorous but I guess it did because of the manner in which I pronounce it and before I knew it everybody had noticed. However I often use it to transition from one joke to another. I am glad it did add some flavour on my style.

You’re from the Rift Valley region but your comic style is heavily borrowed from the Western region?

 I know right? My work is to make people laugh and in so doing, I have to look for content that befits my character Wambilianga. Besides, I can comfortably do several accents –  Nigerian, Luhya and coastal. Sometime my jokes depend on the mood of the day.

How hard is it to make people laugh?

I really don’t know because in most instances whenever I open my mouth people just burst into laughter even when I am not trying to make them. I think am naturally funny, just like Erick Omondi whom the other day posted a picture enjoying holiday with his girlfriend but the public saw something else and made fun out of it (laughs)! 

On a normal day how do you prepare for a show?

I have a team that I work with headed by my script writer Joyrider with whom I write the jokes. We rehearse them and polish up where necessary. After that I present it to the Churchill team during the auditions on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday who will go over them for approval and if a joke meets the standards I get booked for the live recording show.

Have you ever offended someone with your jokes?

Yes I have. It has happened several times but not intentionally. One occasion that I remember is when I was cracking a joke about fat people when suddenly a woman in the midst of the crowd stood up and demanded for an apology. However  I was lucky as the rest of the audience ganged up and cooled her by asking her to understand that it was a comedy show.

Has being on the Churchill Show changed your life?

Tremendously. Because through that platform I was able to land a job as a radio presenter with Mediamaxx’s Emo FM that broadcasts in Kalenjin. I have also been able to get gigs as an MC and currently I’m preparing for my USA tour in the next few weeks. It has been a blessing to me.

Has the new found fame affected you?

Not at all, I’m still the guy next door just doing my usual stuff. It’s just a status, nothing much.

How do you handle the pressure especially from female fans?

I am a family man, got married sometime back, that has at least helped to keep me in check and grounded.

Has it been easy for your wife handling her husbands’ new celebrity status?

At first it wasn’t easy for her  because I got married before fame. We would argue a lot more so when we had shows that required me to travel for a couple of days but over time she got used to it and we have been good.

What is it that you miss before you became famous?

Hahaha! So much stuff but the main one is that I can no longer go to the local pubs and enjoy my pocket friendly beer ‘Keg’ because paparazzi are always on the lookout and ready to blog with negative stories.

For how long do you plan to keep doing comedy?

As you know comedy has no pension plan and I can’t do this forever. That’s why I have started venturing into various businesses as a contingency plan.