actresses-from-kenya

"There will always be a hundred reasons why you can't do something. Your job is to find the one reason why you can, and hold onto it tightly. Believe in yourself even when no one else does, because that belief is your fuel."

"Acting was never a career choice for me; it was a calling. I couldn't see myself doing anything else. When you find that thing you are so passionate about that you would do it for free, that's what you should pursue."

"Nice Githinji possesses a rare authenticity on screen that makes her characters instantly relatable. She doesn't just act a role; she embodies it with a subtlety and depth that commands attention."

"We have the stories, we have the talent. What we need now is more investment and belief in our own local content. The world is ready for Kenyan stories, told by Kenyans."

"My sisters and I lacked sanitary towels. Our house lacked electricity connection. Our taps ran dry. We did not have the luxury of eating three meals a day. Life was a struggle until I questioned God’s existence. But now, when I look back, I realise that God was training me to be a resilient person – a person with a strange hunger to strive, the hunger to seek and learn. I have learnt to become independent and self-initiated. I have bombarded the opportunities and strode confidently!"

"I grew up in Maringo, Kimathi and Kariobangi South areas in Eastlands, Nairobi. I am the sixth born in a family of seven children. That explains why I am so loud; we were quite many in the house – I just had to develop such kind of an adaptation to be heard. I had to fight for my space."

"That is quite true. I escaped engaging in such activities when I was growing up because I was raised in a Christian family. Mimi nikitoka kwa tumbo ya mum nilikuwa nasema Yesu ni Bwana! The Bible says train a child in a way they should grow and when they grow, they should not depart from it"

"We just fixed ourselves where we could. God later lifted our status. We thus relocated to Nairobi Posta – still in Maringo area. The new house had three bedrooms. We squeezed in. Life is about accepting what you have"

"They say only rich people are having kids nowadays because the cost of raising a child is crazy. But I would love to have two or three so that my firstborn can have siblings."

"When my son was a day old, that’s when it hit me that I no longer had a say—it would always be about him. He now fully depends on me. In the beginning, I was a walking zombie because I wasn’t getting enough sleep. Even now, I survive on very little sleep as I also have to chase my dreams."

""I started singing in my second year of campus. Over time, I had to become a different woman, especially because of motherhood. I’ve been in the industry since I was 18, and now I’m in my 30s."

"I have not been as active because I started a company, and I have to take care of it. So far, so good. Artistry has always been in me—I haven’t left music. I also act."

"I don’t believe in having one foot in, one foot out. If you are going to do something, give your 100 per cent to it and if it doesn’t work, that’s fine, but you don’t want it not to work because you were not committed and later wonder, ‘what if I had put in a little more effort?’"

"I am the kind of person who has to finish something once I start and I took my studies seriously. There are times I would be in the studio with my producer and I would tell him to make the session quick because I wasn’t about to miss class."

"I was later told who did it. To this day, they don’t know I know. There is power in that. It is powerful to know something and just keep it with you until you decide to act on it. It’s like having bullets – if you use them, then they are gone. But if you keep them safely, you have an arsenal. I sometimes see the person who did it and they think we are cool but I know. One day."

"Not really, but it happens so often, that sometimes I make a joke of it. I’ll smile back enthusiastically sometimes or make a clown face just for fun."

"I still love him with all my heart. If you could look inside, you would see that love clearly. But the need to request a separation was a necessity, not a choice I made lightly."

"As someone who deeply values marriage, leaving someone I love was an excruciatingly difficult decision. I hold no ill will towards Mr. Muraya."

"I have learnt never to despise people – my husband (DJ Mo) and I are on a mission to help the less fortunate, especially children. We rolled out our aid mission in Buru Buru where we fund the education of a number of children. My husband understands what poverty is; and what it can do as he too grew up with hardship."

"Creating ideas, and concepts and seeing them through makes me feel proud and is for me a true and real contribution to the betterment of society."

"Many of the issues we are addressing today, the key drivers of HIV such as violence, the cultural aspects, the misinterpretation of scriptures have all been part of the discussions of African women theologians."

"Go at your pace, marriage is not for everyone, children are not for everyone."

"You don't know about the marriage until you walk on it"

"So long as you know that deep down it is not your truth it should not bother you"

"In this world there are black, white and grey. There are people who would push all kinds of stories."

"It is understandable that life can turn to worst, but it is important to be honest with yourself and seek help"

"Be truthful to yourself is the greatest gift you can give to yourself."

"I would love to get married because I want to share my life with someone, not because society says that I should. But if I don't get married, that is my cross to bear, not society's.""

"We have gone through stages. When we started, it was the issue of gender, We have come a long way. I think it is accepted that this is an issue we must deal with … Now homosexuality has become part of the issues, and this is not an area we can avoid."

"It was very obvious that the most affected on the continent were women, both as care providers and because we are on the receiving end, The majority of those who are HIV-positive are women. So we couldn’t ignore asking why there is a gender imbalance."

"Looking back I see that my ministry has been shaped by the dynamics of HIV, especially in the African context, As an African it has a personal angle to it. I stopped counting the number of people in the extended family we have lost."

"Our goal is to have HIV-competent churches and theological institutions."

"“We have chosen to touch the cloak of Jesus and to hear his voice calling us to arise! We have chosen to participate fully in God’s mission and to name the missing links in African theology, mission, and life”."

"It is very hard to move forward, if you don't accept your reality."

"The challenge is always getting a broadcaster to buy into your idea, rather than the idea itself."

"The reality of being an entrepreneur at the start is, you can't even pay yourself."

"We should dream and believe in the possibility."

"I keep a group of close-knit friends who inspire, build and challenge me to grow in my career."

"I know I am my greatest enemy. But the good thing is, I was able to harness into my heartbreak positively and create a great product."

"I would love for anyone who is on their parenting journey...maybe consider that the world has been optimized for brains that conform to societal norms but there are other brains that have helped us move forward in creativity, in laughter, in joy and there's a place for them.*"

"I'm sharing this for us to take note that there is hope for a more positive living environment and also to encourage anyone who's been a victim of any kind of hate,"

"To anyone who’s ever been body shamed, remember, what the shamers say is not a reflection of you, it's really a reflection of the quality of person they are...so don't take it their negativity to heart."

"I Have Been Loved And Hated!We move on Regardless!!"

"It is okay to start again. No shame in it."

"I am inspired by successful women who do things that were previously only done by men; women who can create and succeed and who are confident."

"Throughout my life's journey as a strong woman, I have enjoyed the support of many. At the same time, I have suffered because I am a woman. I never forget that after being declared the best creative writer and best producer at Voice of Kenya, I was not recommended for promotion. Another person was appointed above me and I was expected to be his assistant."

"I have no fear. True, I fear God, but I do not fear what people will say. My success has been driven by my confidence and lack of fear. I believe that I can do what others can."

"If you do not have confidence you might as well be dead."

"Quite often, my advice has been on using power of pen not guns to fight ones right."

"Muthoni Likimani belongs to a group of unsung heroines, more so because she penned her works from the heart, exuding a fighting spirit that epitomises her historical role as a freedom fighter and chronicler of a peoples’ culture and livelihood. Her natural smile radiates the warmth of the connection her fictional characters have with the audience. Indeed, as I read her works I see that radiance of a gallant personality to read more, hear more and see more."