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

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

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, 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 was launched as a radio service in 1928 when Kenya was a B ...

then known as

Voice of Kenya Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is the State media, state-run media organisation of Kenya. It broadcasts in English and Swahili language, Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation was launched as a radio servic ...

(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 Ojwang' 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 Ojwang' 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 Gatundu is a small town in Kiambu County of Kenya. It is known for the first Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta who lived about three kilometres away from the town, as well as his son, Uhuru Kenyatta, the 4th President of Kenya and former Member of ...

home. The late president Daniel Moi was also particularly fond of Mama Kayai and Mzee Ojwang'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. He served in various leadership positions in Kenya's government including ...

also regularly invited Mama Kayai and her team to

State House State House or statehouse may refer to: Buildings *Aso Villa or State House, the official residence of the President of Nigeria *Government House, Dominica or The State House, the official residence of the President of Dominica * State House, Bar ...

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 where she grew up. Kavere later met Mzee Ojwang' 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 Ken ...

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