The Kenyan comedy scene has seen tremendous growth over the years, with Kikuyu comedians being some of the most popular in the country.
These comedians have not only brought laughter and joy to their fans, but they have also made lucrative careers out of their talent.
In this article, WoK takes a closer look at the top ten Kikuyu comedians who are making money moves in the industry.
1. Njugush
Timothy Kimani Ndegwa is a brand influencer and an award-winning comedian.
He was born in May 1991 in Meru County but grew up in different parts of the country because of his father’s work.
Njugush admitted that he experienced culture shock due to frequent relocation as he had to adapt to a new way of living every time.
In high school, he participated in drama festivals and later enrolled at Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) for a journalism course.
He was part of KIMC’s drama club and travelled with
the team to Mombasa for drama festivals where he met actors like Jeff Ayuma, Fred Indimuli, Dennis Mugo and Abel Mutua.
Njugush’s breakthrough came in 2014 after landing a role at KTN’s The Real House Helps of Kawangware.
2. Henry Desagu
Real name Ithagu Kibicho, Henry Desagu is a digital content creator and one of the highest paid comedians in Kenya.
He started doing comedy at a young age when he
would perform skits in church with other children.
After completing his KCSE, he opted to venture into comedy, but chose to fulfill his parents’ desire by joining campus.
He later joined a theatre group that helped nurture his talent.
3. Terence Creative
Lawrence Mwangi or Terrence Creative is a creative director, events MC, brand influencer and content creator.
He began acting when he was in the children’s home, although, his professional stint began after high school.
Terence acted at the Kenya National Theater before he started auditioning at Churchill Show but ended up working behind-the-scenes as a creative talent.
He later went into content creation.
He is beter known for his character, Papa Freddy, a Congolese guy who cons unsuspecting people of their money by claiming that he can multiply them.
4. Mammito
Also known as Eunice Wanjiru Njoki, Mammito is a stand up comedian, actress and digital content creator.
She has worked with among other comedians Jacky Vike and Terence Creative in comedy skits and brand campaigns.
Mammito went into comedy after failing to secure a job after campus.
After missing out on job opportunities, she auditioned for Churchill Show Live, but she failed to impress she would be sent away.
This continued until she was finally admitted in 2015.
5. Prof Hamo
Herman Kago is a media personality and comedian famed for his appearances on Churchill Show Live.
As a radio presenter, he worked alongside Veteran news anchor Jeff Koinange on Hot 96 before his unceremonious exit.
Prof Hamo’s exit from the radio station was marred with controversy although he has never addressed the same to date.
He is the son of James Wachira Kago, a Kenya Defence Force officer turned farmer, who unfortunately passed away in 2016.
Herman earned the name Prof Hamo out of his wittiness, and finally proclaimed himself a professor because of a beard and an afro hairdo.
6. Austin Muigai
Austin Muigai describes himself as an actor, stand up comedian and content creator.
He is famous on TikTok and Instagram where he shares funny videos alongside other acts such as Obienji, Wololo TV and Useful Idiot.
He commands a followership of over 240,000 and 2.6 million likes.
7. Jaymo Ule Msee
Wilson Muirani Gathoni alias Jaymo Ule Msee is a comedian, content creator and radio presenter.
He hosts BarTalk on Trace East Africa radio every Monday – Friday from 7 PM to 10 PM alongside, Cliff the Cliff.
The Jaymo character tells real life situations in a hilarious way. The way the character is portrayed is a typical example of the real happenings.
After quitting his banking job, Jaymo started operating his website called ‘whatshappening’ that focused on current affairs.
The website was bought by Nation Media Group and he was hired to work for NTV in the digital division.
He quit NTV to join Squad digital as a digital accountant manager but went on to quit the advertising agency.
In 2015, he started Ujinga Saucer where he and the friend would sit in the living room and analyze situations from a silly point of view.
In March 2015 he introduced the Jaymo Ule Msee character.
8. Auntie Boss
Nyce Wanjeri picked her moniker Auntie Boss from local comedy-drama television series, ‘Auntie Boss’ where she was a lead actress.
The show followed lives of domestic house helps in a fictional Taifa Estate and their everyday drama as it revolves around the families they work for and activities within the neighborhood.
After the show was called off, Nyce went into events emceeing, digital content creation sharing funny videos on social media.
She has also appeared in local drama series on lading media stations such as Inooro TV and Maisha Magic East.
9. Teacher Wanjiku
Carolyne Tharau or Teacher Wanjiku rose to fame during her stint at Churchill Show Live.
Other than being a comedian, she is also a producer, actress and founder of Mwalimu Production, a content creating company where her character is animated specifically for children.
The character, Teacher Wanjiku, started at Heartstrings where she was involved in a play dubbed, 43rd Kenyan tribe.
Wanjiku’s big break came when she did her first stand-up comedy performance at the Churchill Show in 2013.
She left Churchill Show in 2014 after her contract expired, and had been appearing fro’ time-to-time as a guest performer.
10. Aunty Jemimah
Born Wangari Wa Nguri, Aunty Jemimah is a Kenyan comedian and radio presenter at Gukena FM.
She came into the limelight after recording a video about how men from her community love requesting for coitus.
Although a bit controversial, this video was well received by many who encouraged her to make more such clips.
In her videos, she plays the role of a rich Kikuyu woman who does not tolerate nonsense, making it relatable to many Kenyans.
