Mugambi Nthiga

EARLY LIFE

Mugambi Nthiga grew up in Nairobi. His first home was a modest one-bedroom house in Buruburu Phase 3. The family later lived in Valley Arcade, an old colonial-style house at Nairobi School (where his mother taught), Waithaka, and eventually a maisonette in South C (Halai Estate). He landed his first acting role at age 5 as the little drummer boy in his nursery school Nativity play, which received excellent reviews from his mother and younger sister in the audience. He has described a childhood shaped more by imagination and improvisation than typical neighbourhood play, as the family moved frequently.

CAREER

Nthiga’s professional path began in Nairobi’s theatre scene in the early/mid-2000s with plays and musicals. He later pursued postgraduate studies in advertising in the United States with ambitions of working in New York. When the 2008 recession left him jobless, he revived his acting ambitions in Philadelphia, appearing in independent stage plays and short films and working as a storyteller about American history for tourists in the city’s Historic District. After returning to Kenya, he secured principal roles in M-Net’s pan-African TV drama Changes and the celebrated Kenyan films Nairobi Half Life (2012, as Cedric) and Stories of Our Lives (2014). He gained writing experience on the “Village Series” of comedy musicals before creating, co-writing, and co-directing the musical drama TV series Groove Theory, which ran for two seasons on regional cable television. In 2014 he curated and directed Stories From The Mall, a theatre tribute to the 2013 Westgate terrorist attack. In 2015 he co-wrote the feature film Kati Kati (directed by Mbithi Masya), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2016 and won the FIPRESCI Prize, along with further awards including Best Film at CinemAfrica (Sweden) and Best East African Film at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. In 2017 he co-wrote the family film Supa Modo (directed by Likarion Wainaina), which premiered at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, received a Special Mention from the Generation Kplus Jury, and went on to win numerous international prizes, including the ECFA Award for Best Children’s Film and the Golden Dhow at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. After a five-month stint at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany, Nthiga directed his feature debut Lusala (2019), the final film in the One Fine Day Films / Ginger Ink Films Africa programme. It premiered at the NBO Film Festival and had its international premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2020, later winning the audience prize at the Festival di Cinema Africano and the Rimbaud Award. On stage he has performed Duncan Macmillan’s solo play Every Brilliant Thing (Kenya Theatre Award winner) and directed Too Early For Birds – Mboya Edition (a biographical play on Tom Mboya that had sold-out runs and a combined audience of around 6,000; he won a Kenya Theatre Award for Best Director). He has also directed The Manic Monologues (focused on mental health stigma), co-devised Story Sosa, and directed comedian Crazy Kennar’s large-scale theatre show Happy Country. He is a core member of the improv comedy collective Because You Said So, which stages regular sold-out live shows. He continues to direct commercials and short films, emcee events, host film-related nights, conduct workshops, and develop new projects, including the feature Disko Matanga. Acting remains his first love.

PERSONAL LIFE

Nthiga maintains a relatively private personal life. He is based in Nairobi and remains active in the city’s theatre, film, and improv communities. He has spoken openly about periods of unemployment and career redirection, particularly during the 2008 recession in the United States, as formative experiences that strengthened his commitment to storytelling.

Nthiga is regarded as one of the versatile multi-hyphenate talents of contemporary Kenyan film and theatre. His work spans commercial and independent cinema, award-winning screenwriting, feature directing, large-scale theatre, and live improvisation. He maintains an active presence in Nairobi’s creative scene while continuing to build an international profile through festival selections and collaborations.