Ex-comedian Walter Mongare on life after 'Nyambane'

We meet on a cold Monday evening at Wilson airport’s Golden Wings restaurant with Walter Mongare aka Nyambane, although whether the golden wings refers to the aeronautical wings or the chicken wings we feast on is not quite clear.

Pulse: Long time, Mr Mongare. What on planet earth have you been up to?

Walter: I am building a good stone house in Kisii for my elderly beloved mom, as well as a school in Mumias (shows Pulse several pictures).

P: How is the family... err, the families?

WM: My daughter Tracy is now fifteen, and her mother still doesn’t like her snaps in the newspaper. Linda (Muthama) is still a superstar, and our Altimate Band is doing the rounds and going strong.

P: It has been a mighty long journey since your days in Redykyulass...

WM: And I thank God almighty for all the blessings. We changed comedy (from Vitimbi) by making it commercial on TV, gave the brand value that has been borrowed (by the likes of Churchill) and really pioneered what is, in 2014, a billion-shilling a year comedy empire across the media field.

P: How are Tony Njuguna and Kiarie John?

WM: Tony is at ScanAd as one of the few indigenous creative directors in this country, and KJ is still doing progressive politics. We remain three very good friends.

P: And ‘Nyambane’?

WM: Mochama, si you know how a brand can overshadow you?

P: No. I just know that Kisii has only two and a half men. Nyachae, Nyambane, and ‘Nya-Smitten.’

WM: (laughs, and asks for his soup to be re-heated) – I fault myself for creating a character called ‘Nyambane’ who was larger than life. But myself, Mongare, I am the father to many brands – a family, business brands, social investment, and now the Communications Director of a visionary City Father, Governor Dr Evans Kidero. I am testimony to the fact that a man’s talent will take you to the same seat as great people. The other day I was seated just three seats away from the President; there was Pastor Wairimu Nelson, Dennis Itumbi, and then myself. God’s plan.

P: You are the first ever county official to ‘defect’?

WM: I just answered the call from a true city corporate leader to come and help him deliver on his promise of ‘A Better City, A Better Life,’ bas...

P: A newspaper recently wrote that twenty city workers were evicted from their work spaces to make place for your office.

WM: First of all I would like to thank that gazeti for welcoming me to Nairobi with their ghost story. It is like the ghost workers the Governor (Kidero) has been grappling with. You know there is something like institutional framework and set up. There is also protocol, bwana. You can’t just ‘chase’ people.

P: So what happened?

WM: There is a Communications’ Department we are setting up at City Hall for a staff of fifteen to three dozen folks, who won’t sit on air.

P: Talking of air, and airwaves, you certainly have certain flair about you. Like when at KBC radio.

WM: Some people are resistant to change, and KBC has been around since Independence, so people immune to change create stories that bloggers without content or creativity cook into controversy. As Head of Radio, from Metro, we opened eight other stations countrywide. That model is still in operation.

P: So what next for Walter Mongare?

WM: Nairobi belongs to all its denizens, and we will make this city a brand name – in Kenya all the way to the diaspora. P: And Nyambane?

WM: He occasionally pops out during our office meetings. Laughter brings a little levity during serious boardroom mkutanos.