The film/TV industry in Kenya has really grown in the past year.
Most of these productions that are on Maisha Magic are also exclusively on Showmax. They released the latest ratings of its most-watched programs in Kenya, Swahili telenovela Selina with Pascal Tokodi and Celestine Gachui as the main characters and comedy-drama series Ma’Empress with Kate Actress and Neomi Nganga as the main characters among others made the list.
The notion that Kenyans don’t watch local content is just but a rumor now that we have the likes of Philip Karanja, Bob Mureithi and Abel Mutua who own PhilIt Production.
They are the producers behind Ma’Empress and Sue na Johny that are all on Showmax.
“Kenyans will always want to watch what is Kenyan. I think the narrative that Kenyans only love watching international shows is a lie because the conversation on the ground is very different. It’s actually we producers who are not keeping up with the amount of content that Kenyans want. And in terms of quality, the only way to get to international standards is by being on the ground every day working and practising,” Phillip Karanja said.
#Watchke: Local TV series you must binge-watch
His sentiments are echoed by Selina producer and director Reuben Odanga who said,
The feedback we get from shows like Selina tells you that many people are watching so that assumption is not necessarily true. Kenyans are appreciating local content, which is very good and important for this industry.
He added that being among the most-watched shows in Kenya means they are doing something right and it gives them a sense of direction to what more needs to be done. He urged his fellow local filmmakers out there to keep raising the bar.
Selina, which follows the tortuous romance between Selina (Celestine Gachuhi) and Nelson (Pascal Tokodi), has unleashed an appetite for local soap operas, once only reserved for Mexican and Filipino telenovelas.
Ma’Empress, on the other hand, mirrors the struggles faced by women in the society we live in today, using humor and drama.
