“If we don’t laugh, we’ll cry” is a phrase that often rings true, but, right now,
in the midst of all that is happening in the world, it resonates that much
more powerfully. Laughter is an integral part of the human existence, it
helps us, or at least me, deal with things that otherwise would be a constant
bummer. It also brings us together as a community especially here in
Kenya.
We are constantly bonding over jokes and jabs about the government,
which I believe is the only reason many of us are able to stay sane. The
thing about comedy is that it’s inherently social, even in socially distant
times. If we’re remotely communicating, there’s still a connection that needs
to be made and laughter is a part of that. No matter what, comedy will
always be part of our lives. It’ll find its way into our homes and phones and
even the social interactions we have on a day to day basis, because THAT’s
how important it is. So here we honour some of the great comedians that
bring laughter into our lives.
A good place to start is with Standup Collective. Standup collective is an
outgrowth of Karura Comedy Club and Saturday Night Comedy, based in
Nairobi. It was launched in 2017 as the incubators of English language and
experimental comedy in Kenya and beyond. Besides growing a comedy
club culture amongst Nairobian and by extension Kenyans, they also strived
to create a community of funny people and comedy lovers in general, a
journey that is half complete.
Information about upcoming shows, open mics and workshops can be
found via their website standupcollective.co.ke.
To shine a light on some of the comedians to have come out of the fold; Ty
Ngachira Justine Wanda, Doug Mutai, Amandeep Jagde, Ciku Waithaka,
Shazz Nderitu(Queendom), David Macharia and Maina Murumba, just to
name a few ...

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