Mary Kavere, popularly known as Mama Kayai, is a veteran actor in

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and one of the thespians acknowledged for pioneering the acting industry in Kenya. She has been in the industry for about four decades. In 2018 she was honored with the ''Grand Warrior Award'' which is also the feted induction to the ''Riverwood Awards Hall of Fame''. She came into the public limelight in the 1980s following the premier of a popular comical family show,

Vitimbi ''Vitimbi'' is a Kenyan television comedy show that premiered in 1985 on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, then known as Voice of Kenya. It revolves the family of Mzee Ojwang and her wife Mama Kayai as they experience challenges of managing restaur ...

, in 1985 in the state-owned

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is the state-run media organisation of Kenya. It broadcasts in English and Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation started its life in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. I ...

then known as Voice of Kenya (VOK). She later featured in another popular drama '' Vioja Mahakamani''. In the recent days she has been acting in another TV show Jungu Ku

that's aired on K24 TV, K24br>
Mama Kayai was acting as the wife of also another celebrated thespian, the late Benson Wanjau, popularly known as Mzee Ojwan'g and the two were celebrated as the power couple of Kenyan comedy. Mzee Ojwang, christened the father of family comedy died of pneumonia in 2015. The Vitimbi crew led by Mama Kayai and Mzee Ojwan'g were always accorded an opportunity to entertain the nation in all national holidays. Kenya's founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta often invited the vitimbi crew to entertain him at his Gatundu home. The late president

Daniel Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...

was also particularly fond of Mama Kayai and Mzee Ojwan'g's theatrics and other than according them an opportunity to perform at national holidays, he also invited them to state house. Former president

Mwai Kibaki Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers. He had previously ser ...

also regularly invited Mama Kayai and her team to State House.

Early life

Mary Kavere was married to the late Saidiel Matano. They have five sons. She is now a grandmother. She started her journey in the creative sector as a traditional dancer and singer with a group, known as The Black Golden Stars, in Majengo,

Pumwani Pumwani is an estate of Nairobi. In 2005 it had an estimated population of 29,616. The Pumwani Maternity Hospital is located in Pumwani. It is the largest public maternity hospital in Kenya. Many Kenyan freedom fighters are known to have lived ...

where she grew up. Kavere later met Mzee Ojwan'g and Lucy Wangui (who played a judge on ''Vioja'' ''Mahakamani''), in one of her acting auditions. She acknowledges the two for mentoring her and helping nurture her career in acting. She made her acting debut in the programme ''Darubini'' in 1980 before moving to ''Vitimbi'' and ''Vioja Mahakamani'' respectively both airing on KBC.

Career

Awards

Mama Kayai was awarded the ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the 6th Annual

Kalasha Awards Kalasha Film & TV Awards is an annual accolade presented by Kenya Film Commission with a goal to recognize and celebrate achievers in Kenya's TV and film industry. Entries into the award ceremony are films and TV series that have been aired on Ke ...

in 2015 and also got an induction into the ''Riverwood Hall of Fame'' in September 2018 after winning the ''Grand Warrior Award'' at the Riverwood Awards.

References

{{reflist Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Kenyan television actresses Kenyan film actresses 20th-century dancers 20th-century Kenyan women singers 20th-century Kenyan actresses 21st-century Kenyan actresses