Netflix’s first Kenyan homegrown series, family drama Country Queen, premieres on Friday, marking the start of a significant investment in African film by the streaming company.
Filmed in English, Swahili and a mix of other local languages, the series features a female lead and chronicles the lives of ordinary Kenyans fighting against corporate power and land grabs. It explores urban and rural Kenya through characters intertwined with love, betrayal and conflict.
“We want to show – not just say – how committed we are to ensuring that Kenyan stories find a place to shine on the world stage,” said Nkateko Mabaso, Netflix’s Africa Licensing Director. Netflix has increased its investment in African films and TV series, signing a memorandum of understanding with Kenya earlier this year to boost the country’s talent and production capabilities.
The expected audience has largely welcomed the series as a step towards a more nuanced portrayal of the country and its people on screen. “The global view of who we are is still very narrow. We’re known for being runners and having beautiful wildlife, but we’re much more than that and I’m excited for a deeper look at modern Kenya and a change of perspective,” said Maria Omare, 33, who works in the non-profit sector.
According to series producer Kamau Wa Ndungu, research prior to development showed that Kenyans wanted to see a wider breadth of their experiences that better reflected their reality. “People were tired of everything they see being glamorous,” Ndung’u said. “The feeling was that life doesn’t work that way – there’s always glamor and gloom.”
Vincent Mbaya, director of the series, said: “We are so used to seeing other people on our screens, so I really hope that this translates into a celebration of who we are, a celebration of our culture, our languages and our personalities. I know this is only scratching the surface of the stories we tell about ourselves.”
Country Queen focuses on the character of Akisa Musyoka, an ambitious event planner from Nairobi who pushes the boundaries of society’s expectations of women. “We had to be confident in the characters we were writing,” said Lydia Matata, one of the writers.
“Women need to be allowed space to be complicated and imperfect — as opposed to principles that require them to be 100 percent likable,” she said.
Many Kenyan films and TV programs have been funded by international development organizations over the past decade, making local programs geared towards “entertainment education”. Kenyan filmmakers welcome the move away from this. “It was really liberating to be able to write signs that didn’t have to be a public notice. Knowing that they are just on their journeys and that we have to accept that even if they go to uncomfortable places,” Matata said.
The industry faces strict content restrictions. Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu’s lesbian romance, Rafiki, was banned in 2018 by Kenya’s Board of Film Classification for “promoting homosexuality”.
Actor Arthur Sanya, 40, who has worked in the industry for more than 12 years, said filmmakers could not freely delve into certain issues because of such bans. “This could be a defining moment in terms of Kenyan broadcasting because it deals with topics that have not been fully tackled before, such as love, land grabbing, corruption,” he said.
Professor Kimani Njogu of the Creative Economy Task Force said restrictions made it difficult for filmmakers to take risks. “It stifles stories that should be in the public domain and perpetuates a certain conservative view in the public about what is allowed and what is not allowed – in film and in society.”
Njogu noted that while Kenya’s constitution protects artistic freedom, many filmmakers have been reluctant to challenge regulatory decisions to avoid protracted court battles.
Aspiring filmmakers in Kenya face enormous obstacles; funding can be difficult to come by and there are always concerns about the profitability of projects, Ndung’u said. It took more than five years for Country Queen to get off the ground, with investors sought for years.
However, streaming platforms like Netflix are game changers and their use has increased in Kenya over the past few years, fueled by faster internet speeds and better mobile coverage. Creators are taking advantage of their ability to distribute and monetize content through online platforms, enabling a new generation to survive in the sector and bypass traditional industry “gatekeepers”, says a 2021 UNESCO report.
“Barriers to entry have fallen. Production and viewing are now more democratized, and audiences can produce and watch the content they want outside of existing institutions,” said George Gachara, Creative Industries Entrepreneur at Heva Fund.
Looking to grow its Kenyan subscriber base, Netflix has launched a free plan for Android phone users in 2021.
“Our markets are young, our population is growing and we are urbanizing rapidly, so it makes sense for these platforms to have a strong, long-term African strategy,” said Gachara.
But while the industry is making promising strides, players say the government could do more. “The private sector is struggling because we have one of the most advanced film industries in the region and on the continent. What we need is for the government to make it a priority sector to de-risk investment, encourage film production, have intelligent licensing and support film-making education,” said Gachara.
Common Sense experts say that the show is suitable for children over 13 years old, and parents and children agree that the show is suitable for children over 12 years old.
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