6 Kenyan TV Series and Movies to Watch on Showmax

When it comes to local TV shows and movies, Showmax boasts an impressive slate of over 200 Kenyan titles that you can stream or binge-watch on the platform, from Hilary Ng’weno’s eye-opening documentary Kenya’s Darkest Hour to the crime drama Borderline to 13 seasons of the Kalasha-winning comedy series Sue na Jonnie to Kenya’s first superhero film and most-awarded film Supa Modo and so much more.

Dramas:

Crime and Justice S1

The first Kenyan Showmax Original, Crime and Justice is a police procedural and legal drama that follows detective duo Makena (Sarah Hassan and her partner Silas (Alfred Munyua) as they investigate one ripped-from-the-headlines case per episode, all the way through to the courtroom verdict.

Crime and Justice is directed by Adam Neutzsky-Wulff, Likarion Wainaina  (Supa Modo) and Edwin Kamau (40 Sticks), and is written by Pauline Inda, Anthony Nero and award-winning Kenyan filmmakers Brian Munene (Watu Wote, Morning After) and Njue Kevin (18 Hours, Intellectual Scum).

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More Kenyan drama series on Showmax: Kina S1-3, Borderline S1-2, Monica S1-3, This Is Life S1, Kona S1, The System S1, Nganya S1-2, Changes S1-3, My Two Wives S1-4, Pieces of Us S1-2, Sunrise S1-2 and Socialites S1-2.

Telenovelas:

Kovu S1-4

Apart from making history as Kenya’s first husband and wife to present news together, Lulu Hassan and Rashid Abdalla are creating beloved Swahili telenovelas through their production company, Jiffy Pictures. One of those popular shows is Kovu, a Swahili telenovela set in Kenya’s coastal town of Kilifi, following the wealthy Haze family. They look perfect from the outside but beneath their luxurious exterior, they’re as fractured as any family, with too many secrets and too much money.

More telenovelas on Showmax: Selina S1-6, Pete S1-8 and Maza S1-4

Comedies:

Njoro wa Uba S1-8

In the Kalasha-nominated comedy, Joe Kinyua (How to Find a Husband, Sue na Jonnie) plays Njoro, a man who is forced to become a taxi driver to make ends meet after he loses his lucrative job due to allegations of fraud. Njoro wa Uba has been praised by fans as one of the most relatable shows in Kenya for the way it captures the struggles of ordinary Kenyans trying to make a living, the drastic shift of employed to unemployed, and the plight of taxi drivers in Kenya.

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More Kenyan comedies on Showmax: Sue na Jonnie S1-13, News Just In S1-3, Ma’Empress S1, Varshita S1-5, Jela 5-Star S1, One in a Million S1, Mr and Mrs Singh S1-4, Kookoo Inn S1, Nyanya Rukia S1-6, Hullabaloo Estate S1-20, Junior S1-2, The Vitimbi Show S1-2 and Baba Yao S1-3.

Documentaries:

Kenya’s Darkest Hour S1

Written, directed and produced by Hilary Ng’weno, Kenya’s Darkest Hour is a seven-part documentary series that looks at the disastrous 2007 elections in Kenya that left over 1000 people dead. The series also explores the efforts of the international community to stem the tide of violence and to bring the perpetrators to book.

More documentaries and realities on Showmax: Hilary Ng’weno’s Makers of a Nation S1, Maisha Mkanda S1-2, Stori Yangu S1-4 and Chozi S1

Reality series:

Sol Family S1 & 2

One of the most-watched local shows on Showmax in Kenya, this docu-reality series captures Kenya’s multi-award-winning band, Sauti Sol, like you’ve never seen them before, letting us in on some intimate and personal details about their lives, as well as their Sol Generation protégés Nviiri the Storyteller and Bensoul.

Sol Family’s second season offers a more in-depth look into the group’s romantic relationships, where we see Bien support Chiki in starting her dance studio, Polycarp and Amanda share their home-birth story, and we also get to meet the ladies in Nviiri’s and Bensoul’s lives.

More documentaries and realities on Showmax: This Love S1, Date My Family Kenya S1-2, Our Perfect Wedding Kenya S1-11, Tujuane Plus S1 and Q-Hits

Award-winning films

Supa Modo

Supa Modo, Kenya’s first ever superhero film, packs an emotional punch with the heart-warming tale of nine-year-old Jo (Stycie Waweru), a terminally ill but vibrant girl with dreams of becoming a superhero who can fly. When Jo is discharged from the hospital to spend her remaining days at home, her headstrong sister and the whole village come together to make her dreams come true and turn her into the superhero she’s always wanted to be.

Perhaps the most awarded Kenyan film ever, Supa Modo has won over 50 international awards including Best European Film For Children, European Children’s Film Association, 2019 and Generation 14Plus: Children’s Jury Special Mention, Berlin, 2018, the Artistic Bravery Prize at the Durban International Film Festival 2018 and Best Screenplay at the Carthage Film Festival.

More award-winning and critically-acclaimed Kenyan films on Showmax: Nairobi Half Life, 18 Hours, Kati Kati, Lusala, The Flesh Business, Veve, Something Necessary, and Fundimentals, as well as more than 100 Africa Magic Original films from Kenya.