Nice Githinji

EARLY LIFE

Nice Githinji was born on 25 August 1985 in Mombasa, Kenya. Her family later moved to Makongeni in Nairobi, where she spent much of her childhood. She attended Senior Chief Koinange High School from 1999 to 2002. Her mother passed away shortly after she finished high school. She began acting workshops at the Kenya National Theatre soon after, launching her professional path in performance.

CAREER

Githinji began as a stage actress, notably appearing in Phoenix Players’ production of Richard Stockwell’s Bad Blood. She transitioned into film and television in the mid-to-late 2000s with roles in Benta, All Girls Together (for which she received a Kalasha nomination), Formula X, and Pieces of Peace. She won the Kalasha Award for Best Lead Actress for her role as Rosa in the drama series Changing Times (2011). Her extensive credits include Toni in Makutano Junction, Nduta in Wanuri Kahiu’s Rafiki (2018), Mwana in Subira, Grace in the Netflix series Country Queen, Grey in Kenya’s first sci-fi series Subterranea (Showmax, 2024), and roles in Lusala, The Caller, Crime and Justice, Nganya (which she also produced), and voice work in Netflix’s Big Mouth. She has also worked as a TV presenter and panelist. As a producer and director she runs Nicebird Production and has created or produced projects including Nganya and short films. In recent years she has become one of East Africa’s first trained intimacy coordinators, working to establish safer protocols for intimate scenes on film and television sets. She has trained under international experts (including through programmes supported by MultiChoice Talent Factory, GIZ, and the Kenya Film Commission) and has served as intimacy coordinator on projects such as MTV Shuga Mashariki and others.

PERSONAL LIFE

Githinji has kept much of her private life out of the public eye. In past interviews she has spoken candidly about relationships and has described periods of being single or open to non-traditional arrangements. She is known for her strong advocacy for safer working conditions in the film industry and for mentoring younger creatives through initiatives under her production company.

Nice Githinji is regarded as one of Kenya’s most versatile and enduring performers, with a career spanning more than two decades across stage, film, television, and production. She is also recognised as a trailblazer in introducing professional intimacy coordination to the Kenyan and East African film industries, advocating for consent, safety, and dignity on set. She continues to act, produce, direct, and mentor while expanding her work in industry safety and creative development.