Kenya’s Top Ten Movies of All Time

The USA has Hollywood, the best movie production worldwide, India has Bollywood, and Nigeria has Nollywood. I don’t know what the Chinese, British, Russian, German, French, or Japanese movie industries are nicknamed, but it sounds like a fad thing to do. So fashionable that at some point, the Kenyan movie industry had the name Riverwood (derived from River Road, which is a good number of the entertainment scene’s production houses).
The Kenyan movie scene has always been formidable, with some top productions over the years. Unlike Nollywood, which chose to thrive through sheer mass production, Kenya chose the “quality over quantity” approach. Our flicks get international awards and longevity, which is a testament to this strategy’s work.

Let’s look at some flicks that have had rave reviews and good showings at the box office; I have tried to list them in the order of top ten best.

1. Malooned! (2007)

Directed by Bob Nyanja, this flick puts Kenyan tribal stereotypes in the spotlight. It dismantles them in a well-scripted storyline of a stranded duo who must overcome such stereotypes to get solutions.

2. Nairobi Half-Life (2012)

Directed by David “Tosh” Gitonga, this film follows a young aspiring actor from rural Kenya who moves to Nairobi to pursue his dreams but gets caught up in the city’s criminal underworld.

3. The First Grader (2010)

Directed by Justin Chadwick, this movie is based on the true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan man who enrolls in a primary school after the government introduces free education for all.

4. Bangarang (2021)

The award-winning movie set in Kisumu tackles the deadly effects of post-election violence in Kenya on the common folk.
Directed by Odongo Robbie and produced by Nicholas Odongo.

5. Kati Kati (2016)

Directed by Mbithi Masya, this film follows a young woman who wakes up in the afterlife and joins a community of other recently deceased individuals who must come to terms with their pasts before they can move on.

6. Supa Modo (2018)

Directed by Likarion Wainaina, this heartwarming movie tells the story of a young girl with a terminal illness who dreams of becoming a superhero and how her community rallies around her to make her wish come true.

7. Rafiki (2018)

Directed by Wanuri Kahiu, this groundbreaking film tells the story of two young women who fall in love despite the social pressures against homosexuality in Kenya.

8. Soul Boy (2010)

Directed by Hawa Essuman, this movie follows a young boy who must journey into the spirit world to retrieve his father’s soul and save his family.

9. White Maasai (2005)

Directed by Hermine Huntgeburth, this movie is based on the memoir of the same name by Corinne Hofmann and tells the story of a Swiss woman who falls in love with a Maasai warrior and moves to Kenya to be with him.

10. Veve (2014)

Directed by Simon Mukali, this movie is set in Kenya’s sugar barons and follows a web of interlocking stories that uncover corruption, political intrigue, and violence.