- The highest paid actors in Kenya earn around Ksh200,000
- The pay has been going down since 2002 according veteran actress Nini Wacera
Long gone are the days when TV stations were dominated by soap operas from South America and the US. Local productions have taken over their rightful place and gained an enviable following.
These programs, aired on such stations as Citizen TV, have created big time celebrities. But all is not well if the recent revelation on Sunday Nation by Nini Wacera is anything to go by.
According to the veteran actress, the pay has not been reviewed since 2002 when she started acting.
So how much are the actors paid?
Veteran actors earned between Ksh170,000 to Ksh190,000 per month.
“When I was doing Wingu La Moto I was getting paid Sh170,000 for every season which rose to Sh190,000, that was a long time”, Nini told SN.
Less Pay
Interestingly, the pay of these actors seems to be on a downward trajectory with the passage of time.
Actors earn between Sh50,000 and Sh80,000 per month. Big names take home around Sh200,000.
“…Now a lot of actors are earning Sh50,000, Sh80,000 per month, and around Sh200,000 if you are this big star. Which means there has been no increase of wages for actors from 2002 when I started to now,” Nini shared.
Getting a role on TV
It’s not easy to get a role as the top honchos in TV stations are keen on sleeping with actors in exchange of being on TV.
“….I remember when I was young, I got hit on by the CEOs of all the broadcasters who wanted to put me on TV,” she told the daily.
Men are not spared from harassments either,
“You are working with producers and directors who try to get you drunk just to seduce you. S3x@al harassment is rife in this industry and now is even worse because men too have become a target. Any girl who talks has to go,” she says.
