Best Kenyan movies, TV shows and stand-up comedy in 2025

But let’s step back from the Hollywood machine and look closer to home. What were the best moments I had with Kenyan productions this year?

Movies

In the world of Kenyan feature films, we saw a push towards authenticity that sometimes hit and sometimes missed. Sarah tackled the heavy subject of female genital mutilation (FGM) through a lens that blurred the line between documentary and fiction.

It avoided romanticising its subjects, using ordinary people and real locations to ground the story. However, it felt like a film “designed” for festivals, where the theme outweighed the entertainment factor, following a formula that made the plot predictable by the 30‑minute mark.

On the lighter side, Sayari was a romantic comedy treat that dropped in April but felt like a Valentine’s release. Set in the lush, misty backdrop of Tigoni, it followed a struggling BnB manager tasked with ensuring a runaway groom makes it to his wedding. While the cinematography didn’t fully capture the beauty of the location, the chemistry between the leads and the grounded subplot about fatherhood made it delightful.

Inside Job, a heist comedy that hit Netflix with a star‑studded cast including Jacky Vike and Mammito Eunice, explored the economic gap between Nairobi’s elite and working class, specifically highlighting the often‑overlooked Indian community. Yet the execution felt rushed. It suffered from uneven pacing and underwritten characters.

Mombasa’s criminal underbelly was the star of The Dog, a Swedish‑Kenyan crime thriller. It was a brutal character study of a drug dealer’s descent into madness.

The film’s use of coastal locations was exceptional, though the immersion was occasionally broken by the lead actor’s jarring Swahili. A good thriller that unfortunately suffered from a near‑total lack of marketing.

Crazy Kennar made his feature debut with Iscariot. The concept, a sentient car blackmailing its owner, was brilliant and absurd. While weighed down by plot holes, theatrical acting, and unpolished technical elements, it signalled serious ambition from Kennar to move beyond short‑form skits into the world of cinema.

Then around Christmas we got a glossy Kenyan heist-dramedy set in Nairobi, 1992. Cards on the Table told the story of ex-lovers Beth and Jackso reconnecting through a risky holiday robbery, wrapped in vibrant visuals and nostalgic 90s details.

But above everything else I need you to keep in mind that no Kenyan film was submitted to the Oscars this year.

Documentaries and shorts

The documentary space in 2025 gave us some of the year’s most thoughtful content. How to Build a Library followed the multi‑year journey of restoring Nairobi’s McMillan Memorial Library.

It served as a time capsule, capturing the decay of institutions and the persistence required to revive them. Though it felt a bit safe and lacked geographical orientation, it was an inspiring snapshot of cultural activism.

Searching for the Boy Child took a more provocative route. Led by comedian David Macharia, it investigated the narrative that Kenyan boys are being “left behind”. It was a vulnerable blend of stand‑up and serious inquiry into gender‑based violence, though it lacked hard data and sometimes lost focus on its central premise by drifting into broader GBV discussions.

In short films, John Johnny Johnté stood out for its hybrid structure, mixing scripted drama with documentary‑style inserts. While the messaging, tied to a sensitisation campaign, sometimes overshadowed the drama, the edit was tight and the cinematography clean.

Streaming

Kenyan TV in 2025 was dominated by high‑stakes drama. Kash Money offered a six‑part dark comedy thriller about a powerful family in chaos after their patriarch’s suspicious death.

It was stunning visually, embracing creative framing and slick production design. While some performances felt one‑dimensional and the environmental sound design wasn’t fully textured, it proved that Kenyan series can build serious, over‑the‑top tension and drama.

Then we got The Chocolate Empire, a raunchy crime drama centred on a former businessman running a high‑end escort service. It excelled in wardrobe and make‑up, capturing the opulence of Nairobi’s upper class. Strong performances carried what was a slow‑burn story deeply rooted in the realities of Kenyan social deviance.

MTV Shuga Mashariki returned, proving that youth‑centred drama can achieve global production standards. Set at the fictional Enkare University, it subverted typical plots around sexual health and gender dynamics with a slick, polished visual identity. It remains perhaps the best young adult drama to come out of the continent, even if it still lacks Kenyan ownership at the executive level.

Single Kiasi returned for a third season, the longest‑running Kenyan streaming show. Set against the high‑stakes backdrop of Nairobi’s social and legal elite, it subverted typical tropes of sisterhood and romance with a polished visual identity that captured the city’s vibrant energy.

The year closed with Adam and Eve, centred on a charming Nairobi playboy mystically transformed into a woman. It subverted typical gender‑swap tropes by confronting deep‑seated misogyny and toxic masculinity. My review of the show is coming early 2026

Stand-up comedy

This was arguably a strong year for stand‑up comedy. The Hot Seat was a highlight, a brutal, unapologetically savage roast series that focused on some of Kenya’s biggest celebrities. It was dark and relentless, showing a clear distinction between the “Churchill Show” style of comedy and the more structured, tight pacing of stand‑up comedy.

Individual specials also made their mark. Mammito Eunice’s Maandamano Baby blended her signature observational wit with the chaotic energy of Nairobi’s social climate.

Wine by Doug Mutai was a thoughtful, 51-minute exploration of life as a Kenyan millennial, navigating the intersections of politics and ageing.

Doggies by Amandeep Jagde took a more unhinged route, offering a raw, unfiltered look at his upbringing and personal trials with his signature laid‑back delivery. All specials were free on YouTube, making high‑quality comedy accessible to everyone.

We also saw the Nairobi International Comedy Festival, which brought together talent from across Africa. The closing gala, despite power blackouts and delays, proved that African stand‑up is a shared language, with comics like Justine Wanda, King Kandoro and Vafa Naraghi riding the room’s energy to turn technical failures into part of the act.

Other notable events included David Macharia and The People Who Agreed to Do This Show, and the Rewind, Remix, Reclaim Festival, which gave us great performances from Racquel Anyango, Nduta Kariuki, Ciku Waithaka, and Ruth Nyambura.

Robby Collins’ Come as You Are tour showcased his seasoned ability to turn uncomfortable topics like disability into laughter, while also exposing us to other African comedians such as Bexta.

Ty Ngachira recorded a special which I hope will be released. George Waweru finally recorded his long‑overdue stand‑up special. Maina Munene brought to us his African Dream tour. Bashir Halaiki recorded his special, A Halaiki, a tightly packed, personal set that solidified his place as one of the country’s greats.

Comics, vlogs and podcasts

Pop culture even extended into literature with Wana Wa Magere Chapter 2: Vigango. This comic book expanded on Kenyan mythology, taking the story to the Coast and exploring ancestral memorial statues.

The vlogging and podcast scene was very active and diverse. I’m sharing what dominated my “For You Page”. These are not necessarily the top picks or the best of 2025, taste varies in this space. The usual suspects included Mic Cheque, Ikonini, Liv Kenya, Abel Mutua and Dr King’ori.

Ultimately, 2025 was a picture of a creative industry moving toward an authentic, often messy, but always compelling rhythm.

But this year I found myself gravitating toward others: Kisiangani Podcast, Waigera, Coffee Pump Podcast, Carnversations, IOTWE (Every Other Time With Erick), Turbotaleske, ART‑i‑Factory, and Buslife ke, just to mention a few.

→ [email protected]