Vitimbi actors talk of how they were chased from KBC

Since Vitimbi comedy went off air on KBC last year, members of its crew have spoken for the first time how the national broadcaster kicked them out because they were “too old.”

They said the show was stopped without notice. “KBC chased us one morning after all those years saying that we were old,” said Mary Kavere, who acts as Mama Kayai. “They didn’t tell us what went wrong. That was very disrespectful of our careers.”

The crew spoke on The Trend hosted by Larry Madowo on NTV. They said they were switched off without any compensation or send off package. “We left empty handed. They didn’t give us even a penny after firing us. The pain is still there even after all that time,” she said.

ALSO READ: SIX THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT MZEE OJWANG

They appeared on the trend to pay tribute to the deceased veteran comedian, Mr Benson Wanjau, aka Mzee Ojwang. The crew looked sombre over Ojwanga’s death, but it was apparent the sadness runs back to the day they were kicked out of KBC.

But the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), under which KBC falls, said that their contract with the broadcaster expired. He noted that the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation does not owe the Vitimbi crew anything.  KBC helped settle Mzee Ojwang’s hospital bill when he was admitted in March.

Until last year when the Vitimbi show went missing on the national broadcaster’s screen, it had been an all time classic to people of all ages for many years. The Vitimbi crew said the show runs on GOtv Channel 4.

Vioja Mahakami crew at Mzee Ojwang’s funeral.

RELATED: KBC DOESN’T OWE VITIMBI ANYTHING, SAYS GOVERNMENT

Mr Gibson Mbugua, who plays Prosecutor in the popular Vioja Mahakamani, show said:  “The reason why Mzee Ojwang died in that state and the reason we do not earn a decent living is because there is no art policy in Kenya,” he said. “We get used and dumped because we are not protected. We need to have a way of tapping talent and rewarding it as well.”

The Vitimbi crew said that they will remember the late Mzee Ojwang as a father and a role model to them. He will be buried n 29th July at Langa’ta Cemetery after a service at Nyayo Stadium.  “We are making plans to give Mzee a heroic and decent sendoff because he deserves it,” said Mr Mbugua.

NEXT READ: FOUR SECTORS WITH HIGH RETURNS IN KENYA