Articles

The Nigerians Have Landed

They are here: the Nigerians. They are here with their film imports, and Kenyans are going gaga. Case in point: last month the youthful Nigerian Pastor, Chris Ojigbani, filled the Nyayo national stadium with a myriad of single ladies, all hoping to get husbands after his prayers. Far from that emotional hype are the Nigerian productions that have completely swept over the Kenyan TV and entertainment industry.

All these beg the questions: will Kenyans have enough of Kenyan films and entertainment? Celebrated Kenyan filmmaker Bob Nyanja thinks otherwise. “There is no industry in Kenya per se. What we have is sporadic film activities that are growing tremendously.”

Earlier this year his critically acclaimed film, The Rugged Priest, lived to its billing as one of the best produced movies from Kenya when it won international recognition at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. So what will it take to get Kenyan films on its feet? “This industry craves for movie makers who view film as an art and who are able to depict ‘Kenyan stories. There aren’t enough of films made in Kenya for Kenyans. That’s why Kenyans opt for the Nigerian movies; it’s what is closest to them in terms of the African traditional and social setting, as compared to Hollywood and Bollywood movies,” adds Nyanja.

The Nigerian market demand is fueled by their massive population of around 150M people. This owes almost an assertion of a film’s success in that regard. Perception has also played a role. TV programs controller at KBC Christopher Mutungi agrees that Nigerian content has a huge presence on Kenyan TV but still not too much to surpass local content. “Look at K24; they are dedicated at only broadcasting local programs,” says Mutungi.

It’s left in the open that a clear structure in Kenya, and Africa at large, is of utter importance if the movie makers are going to make ends meet and of course satisfy their market. “Kenyan movie makers have had to reach deep into their pockets. We beg, borrow, sacrifice just to create movies. Sometimes we don’t even hope to get money out of it, but deep down we wish to break even,” says Nyanja. While the Kenya film commission continues to strive in its mandate, the demand for Kenya films keeps at the steady rise. “Five more years to go till we can call this Kenyan situation a film industry,” asserts Bob.

Share this post