Daudi Anguka wants Mombasa to be a hub of film productions, telling Madowo, “Mombasa has a talent and it is high time for film distributors, for film, for content buyers to see Mombasa as a hub. Not just as a location because we have upcoming filmmakers, and we have big producers. I am one of them. I started from somewhere […] there are so many good stories here in Mombasa.”
His film journey took off when he earned a UNICEF-backed scholarship from the Hot Sun Foundation to study at Kibera Film School. Equipped with a camera, Anguka began writing his own screenplays from the Bangladesh slums of Mombasa. He shows Madowo the place where he shot his first short film, saying, “This is very special because you are doing stories, things which are affecting people. So, with the stage plays and the short film, whatever we are talking about—the challenges which people are facing in the community.”
Anguka not only became a filmmaker in his own right but also a mentor to the next generation. Tevan Kinyua, his mentee and Assistant Director, recalls how Anguka guided him when he was just starting out. “After high school, I came out and then he started coaching me, now doing film. And, uh, his project, his first project, I worked in his first project, and that is where I learned how to be an assistant director.”
At just 30, Anguka made history with his debut film, Mvera, which became Kenya’s sole submission to the 96th Academy Awards—and the first ever from Mombasa. Describing the vision behind the film, he explains, “When I was thinking about Mvera and the challenges, I thought of Mekatilili, one of the most famous icons, […] even right now, in this environment, in this generation, we also have modern Mekatilili. Why do not I do a story of modern Mekatilili.”
Anguka has mastered the ability to immerse viewers in the rich Swahili culture of Kenya’s coastal region. He landed his first major show in 2019 on Showmax, called Pete, which he says was his big break. He takes Madowo to Funzi Island, which he deliberately named in the show, noting, “The local tourism in this area changed.”
Reflecting on what made Pete so special, he says, “Pete was just unique in terms of story. First of all, the environment, which is an island. The story and the culture. So what we wanna feel. These are things which we have not been seeing. These are stories which—what TV—they are not easy stories as equal, and now someone, as someone, as unique, can relate.”
The Kenyan filmmaker is also using his work to champion local culture through productions like his latest drama Mkasi on Maisha Magic Plus. Anguka ends the episode with a glimpse into the future of his career: “I just want to make a story where it can cross boundaries all over the world.”
