I don’t know about you, but we all need a good laugh now more than before. I could go into how the year has been rough for the ordinary Kenyan. The belt is getting tighter for the everyday Nairobian (unless you are a politician), but I base my argument on one thing – fuel prices.
Am I saying laughing will reduce the prices of fuel? Well, I wish it could. Fuel prices have had an impact on everyone worldwide. Since laughter is some form of medicine, what we are getting as we come to the end of August is an opportunity for one week to step away from the chaos and – yes, you guessed it, laugh.
The Nairobi International Comedy Festival is just around the corner and, with everything that I have just learnt, stand-up fans have every reason to be excited.
In past editions of the festival, we have had an opportunity to experience stand-up comedy from performers outside Kenya. I know you would argue that you can just watch them online, but watching them live on stage is a unique experience.
This year’s edition is going full pan-African with performers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and now Nigeria too.
Talent and diaspora
For those new to this, the Nairobi International Comedy Festival is a week when Kenya's capital transforms into a city of all things stand-up comedy, bringing together different stand-up talent for engaging live performances. This year marks the fifth edition of NICF, running from August 25 to 30.
Let’s start with the talent. The line-up is a cocktail of comedic styles that includes Ugandans Dr Hilary Okello and Okello Okelo, Tanzanian Sadick Ali, Rwanda’s Babu Joe and Hervé Kimenyi, Zambia’s Chingliz, South Africa’s Bexta Ndabalime, and Nigeria’s Forever, who marks the country’s first official representation at the NICF.
Add in Vince Tshaka from the Kenyan diaspora in Australia, and you’ve got a festival that feels pan-African.
You also get to experience comedy in different settings, from K1 Klubhouse to Suave Kitchen & Social Club, the Nairobi Laugh Bar Chemi Chemi, and the Mövenpick Hotel. Every space brings its atmosphere and personality to the experience. Together, they make the city part of the festival, allowing easy access for people in different parts of Nairobi.
Structure
As mentioned earlier, the programme looks interesting, and each day has its own flavour and direction. Note that we still have a week to go, so one or two things may change.
The opening night at K1 Klubhouse on August 25 is a pre-festival show, a warm-up with surprise acts and themed sets. It’s the kind of night anything can happen, and that unpredictability sets a laid-back tone for the week.
On August 26, Suave Kitchen will be an all-out East African affair, with headliners showcasing regional talent. Okello Okelo, Nelly Wangechi, Sadick Ali, Hervé Kimenyi, Jack Alita, Vince Tshaka, Elly Odoki, Babu Joe, Amandeep Jagde and Doug Mutai take the stage, with Jack Alita hosting.
This offers a great opportunity for Kenyans to experience how other performers on the continent approach stand-up comedy.
The following day will offer two very different experiences. The Thursday Night Live Festival Edition at the Laugh Bar will be hosted by the dynamic duo of David Macharia and Amandeep Jagde, presented in a podcast-style format.
It’s a chance to see comedians in a different light, with Bexta Ndabalime, Vince Tshaka, Okello Okelo, Sadick Ali, Hervé Kimenyi, Jack Alita and Babu Joe performing.
On the same evening, women take over Suave Kitchen. Herlarious, a women-led night, will feature Nelly Wangechi, Justine Wanda, Racquel Anyango, Nduta Kariuki, LJ and Ciku Waithaka. It will be another interesting opportunity to see female performers own stage.
The Friday of August 28 will be about variety. Crowd Masters at the Laugh Bar leans into the chaos, with Bashir Halaiki, Mammito Eunice, Sadick Ali, Vince Tshaka, Ciku Waithaka, Babu Joe, Elly Odoki and SK Kinuthia working the room.
On the other side of the city, Suave Kitchen will host African Comedy Heat, a powerhouse night featuring Bexta Ndabalime, Hervé Kimenyi, Doug Mutai, Ty Ngachira, Ciku Waithaka, Okello Okelo, Forever, Chingliz and Amandeep Jagde. This is the crème de la crème of African comedy, and it is bound to be explosive.
August 29 is the festival’s grand night. The NICF Gala and Nairobi International Comedy Awards will be at the Mövenpick Hotel, hosted by Ty Ngachira and Emmanuel Kisiangani.
Performances will be from Dr Hilary Okello, Forever, Bexta Ndabalime, Adan Abdi, Maina Munene, Mammito Eunice, Sadick Ali and Okello Okelo.
It is also going to be an awards ceremony, celebrating the best of African comedy while giving audiences a night of top-tier performances.
The festival closes on Sunday August 30 with something entirely different: a Family Magic and Puppet Shows at Suave Kitchen.
Darren Collins brings a family-friendly finale that is designed to appeal to everyone.
Diverse experiences
What makes this year feel special is the planning of the events. Each day has a clear identity: headliners, podcast-style experiments, women-led items, crowdwork, continental giants, a gala with awards and a family finale. The structure looks and feels more refined, allowing audiences to have different, diverse experiences throughout the week.
Doug Mutai, the festival’s founder, summed it up well: Nairobi is becoming a genuine meeting point for African comedy. For one week, audiences can move in the capital city and encounter an extraordinary range of performers, some familiar, some brand new, discovering how humour translates across cultures and building Nairobi’s reputation as a comedy capital.
Now, why must I make a big deal out of stand-up events like this?
I am not going to rant about how we need to show up to promote our own, but let’s take a minute and look at our favourite streaming platforms.
They are saturated, with carefully edited, overproduced stand-up specials (I have nothing against stand-up specials; I still insist we need to see more from the continent) from comedians that an algorithm thinks we want to see.
How many of those are from our continent, and how many capture the authenticity of who we are as Africans?
These kinds of festivals allow Africans to enjoy stand-up that is relevant to who we are, with relatable and recognisable themes that affect us from the ground level.
We have an opportunity to experience that live, no edits, no cuts, no special effects.
I don’t know whether you, reading this at this moment, have ever experienced a stand-up event, but we can agree that while it can’t solve all our problems, laughing reminds us of the joy of life, even as fuel prices inflate as our wallets deflate.
