Kenyan standup is on the rise as a wave of new venues and talent emerge in Nairobi, complementing the country’s vibrant creative sector. CNN’s Inside Africa takes a look at what makes Kenyan humour and creativity distinct.
The Punchline Comedy Club, is one among a handful of collectives helping to provide a pathway into the industry. Eric Lu Savali, the founder of Punchline Comedy Club, explains why Kenya is the perfect physical and cultural environment for comedy, “It’s the longest running, consecutive open mic in Africa, because even during the pandemic, we never stopped. We take advantage of Nairobi’s dope weather. We take advantage of Kenya’s crazy sense of humour, but also of the immense talent that’s around. So that makes it very unique. It’s a cocktail of three things that are very important.”
One of the big turning points for Kenyan standup over the past twenty years was the creation of The Churchill Show in 2007. The comedian behind the show, Daniel “Churchill” Ndambuki, tells CNN about its allure, “It was very unique because it was a mix of so many things. It was standup, it was interviews from both comedians and musicians, celebrities, politicians. And then we even had a segment for kids. So, it was a big family show and that’s what brought Kenyans together, East Africans together and Africans together for that one big show.”
For five years, Punchline Comedy Club has been running an all-female comedy show. This year, comedian Trussilah Lorrainemade her festival debut. She reveals what made her choose comedy, “When I’m on stage, I feel like I can just say anything and I can be anyone as opposed to how proper you’re supposed to be in real life. I have a six-year-old daughter, and I do a lot of mothering and a lot of adulting. I think I chose comedy because then I get to practice art and be free and just speak my mind.”
Seasoned performer, Ciru Mwangi closed the comedy night, bringing experience from performing alongside one of the most famous comedians in the world, “Opening for Dave Chappelle. That was single-handedly the most stressful day of my life because I felt like I held the fate of not just comedy, but female comedians. There’s such a high bar as a comedian. And I felt if I mess this up, everyone will always say female comedians are this and they’re this. And so, it was very stressful, but I was also super grateful.”
For most comedians, quitting their day job is still some way off. Mwangi explains what success looks like for this growing scene, “Success for me in comedy, if I’m very honest, will look like the day I will be completely myself on stage because the money will come. The money comes every now and then. For me, it’s that internal feeling of knowing today I was extremely 100% myself on stage because it’s a struggle for most people. We try and put on a persona and we are trying to be liked. The day I shed the need for validation from the audience and just completely be myself, that for me is success.”
These interviews were featured on the latest episode of Inside Africa on CNN International.
