Inter Press Service - October 12, 2002
Katy Salmon

"People don't think about who the politician is. The bottom line is what can he or she do for me. A lot of our political situation is based on who your father was, how much money you have got and who your relatives know," says Boy.

One of the key figures in 'By Any Means Necessary' is Attila, a ruthless, hard-drinking, violent politician, born "with a silver spoon in his mouth". Attila tries to murder an investigative journalist who is on the verge of exposing some dirty secrets about his election campaign.

"I hope that it will make people realise there is more to a politician than what they just show us. Behind the scenes these politicians are consorting with thugs," Boy charges.

"They should dig deeper as opposed to thinking their father was a politician or they come from this tribe or have got money," he urges.

This message is only too relevant to Kenya today, with President Daniel arap Moi pushing for the inexperienced, unelected Uhuru Kenyatta, the wealthy son of Kenya's founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, to replace him when he retires in December.

The fast-paced thriller centres around four former college mates who meet by a twist of fate at Attila's remote hideout. All three men are in love with the mysterious Jezebel, now a gangster determined to avenge her past.

The play touches on several problems currently facing Kenya, with references to prisons where inmates "walk around naked except when visitors come", ethnic clashes, car-jackings and a "commission of inquiry to investigate the commission of inquiry".

Marketing director Nick Njache hopes that the play will spur people into trying to fight this dispiriting status quo.

"One of the issues is about Kenyans not wanting to do anything for themselves because they are too hungry," he explains.

"We all think we are in the same boat but really we are not. It's only the majority of Kenyans. There are actually some people who are living it large, who are making lots of money out of the situation as it is," he charges.

"We hope that Kenyans will start thinking about their own rights and wanting to do something to change their lives," Njache says.

'By Any Means Necessary' is the first play to be staged by Etcetera Productions, a company of young Kenyan artists formed last year. Boy is their resident writer and Caroline Odongo, one of Kenya's leading directors, heads the company.

"Our aim is to build up the standards of theatre and television and hopefully get into movies. We want to build up a viable entertainment industry," says Njache.

In July, Etcetera's first TV production, the mini-series 'All Girls Together' was broadcast on Metro TV.

Boy, who wrote 'All Girls Together' says this is the direction in which he wants to progress.

"I'd like to put a lot more stuff on TV. I feel that is the right medium to go into," he says.

"Apart from issues like politics and general entertainment, I feel that it's a very good way to channel educational issues like HIV/AIDS, domestic violence. Because our role models are all based on what we see on TV. Unless we try and compete on that level, really you are wasting your time," Boy believes.

Boy was a scriptwriter on the United Nations funded 'Heart and Soul' soap which seeks to promote issues like AIDS awareness, girls' education and environmentalism. He says he would now like to make a sitcom for Kenyan television.

Being a scriptwriter in Kenya is tough. Boy started off writing one-act educational plays on issues like AIDS for non-governmental organisations. To make ends meet, he has also written an advertising campaign for Tusker beer.

"That's what I use to make money to survive. Then I just have a bash at writing something I enjoy, like this play," he says.

With another play, 'Winds of Change', also showing at Nairobi's Carnivore, Boy is fast becoming one of Kenya's most prominent young writers.

"It's a struggle but it is getting easier. After my first two plays, people are starting to believe in Kenyan writers. The audience is realising these are the kind of stories that touch their lives and that gives them the incentive to come and watch," he says.

One problem with the Kenyan theatre scene, which is not widely appreciated, is that there are too many foreign productions. The Phoenix Theatre just started a massive fund raising campaign because it is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Boy blames this on the type of plays they choose to stage.

"They thought the thing was to go with western plays, what has been tried and what works. After a while, it doesn't cut. If they did more Kenyan-oriented plays they would definitely have more people in their houses," Boy argues.

He attributes Kenya's lack of artistic confidence - in theatre, music, art - to colonial days.

"I guess it's a colonial hangover. We tended to really throw everything out. When we became Christians we threw out our drums, we stopped our acting. If you look at Nigerians, they didn't tend to lose their roots even during the colonial period," he observes.

"Kenyans will value anything that comes from outside than what is in their own country. They've got to realise their own stuff is just as good. The more we do it, the more they critique it, the better we will get -- as opposed to just shunting it to one side," he says.

It's not just winning over the public. Kenyan corporate industries also need to start supporting local talent. Njache says he was unable to persuade one corporate company to advertise in the programme for 'By Any Means Necessary'.

"I would like the corporate world to take community responsibility by seeing that talented people get something meaningful out of their life," he urges.

"In the past, there have been a lot of con men, who say, 'Give us money for this and this' and they do not do it.

"We want to start a new and show the corporate world that we are serious people and what we are doing is viable," he says.(END/IPS/AF/AE/KS/MN/02)

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