Teacher Kilunda: Shhh! Class in session please...

How about we start with your real name? When I see you, I think of Teacher Kilunda from Tahidi High

My name is TK Ted Kitana. Don't ask me what TK stands for, that's how my name appears on my ID card.

You've become quite a sensation after playing the role of Teacher Kilunda on Tahidi High...

There's an aura about me. I never auditioned for the role. A friend (Teacher Chebby on the series) told me about the role and Naomi Kamau (the producer) hired me.

She was initially hesitant, saying I'm a legend and that the role was too small for me, but I said I wanted it regardless. I've been on the show for nine years and initially I didn't have a permanent role, but I would give my all to the show and the producers saw this and gave me a permanent role. Also, the show grew in popularity, so the money got better.

Where do you get your confidence from when going for auditions?

Whenever I do go for auditions, I own the room. I have gone to auditions with big names like Jimmi Gathu and I almost feel intimidated, but then I shake it off and say iko nini?, I go and my presence gets me roles.

How long have you been in the industry?

About 20 years

20 years. How old are you?

I'm just a couple of steps from hitting the fourth floor.

Well you certainly don't look it. So, other than acting in Tahidi High, what else do you do?

I got into location management by default. There was a time my friend was looking for a location to shoot an international film – Lost in Africa – and I accompanied him. We got a really good location and when the owner recognised me from Tahidi High, he was more than willing to let us use his premises.

He asked if we were going to shoot an episode of Tahidi High at the location and whether he would get to meet the other cast members and I said no but assured him I would be in the film being shot. That was enough for us to secure the location.

On our way back, my friend was silent for a while and when he finally spoke, he asked me to be his assistant because he realised we could get a lot of locations easily because of my recognisable face. And we did.

So when did you decide to branch out and do this yourself?

Just recently. I have registered a company and I am a location manager. I also work with international directors who don't have licences to shoot in Kenya.

Did you study journalism, or how did you stumble upon entertainment?

I actually studied law for six months at the Arboretum College. But I got bored and flew out to Norway for two years. I have relatives there so I worked for their production company before deciding to come back to Kenya.

I didn't have a plan. Actually, I don't make plans for my life. I live each day at a time. When I came back, I started acting in plays at the Phoenix Players Theatre and did some commercials, continuity production and I have been in entertainment ever since.

Do people stop you on the streets all the time?

Yes, being a celebrity has its pros and cons. There was this woman who stopped me on the street once and gave me a tongue-lashing for mistreating a student on Tahidi High. It is hard for some people to differentiate the character Kilunda from the man Ted Kitana.

There are other fans who think you have nothing to do. They will stop you on the street and ask you to go greet their friends and when you say you don't have the time to do so, they abuse you and say you are proud.

I am friendly, but strict so that people do not cross the line.

Speaking of crossing the line, I see you have a ring on your marriage finger so I assume you're married. How does your wife deal with your fans, especially women?

Yes, I'm married, and not just some come-we-stay arrangement. I did it in church. My wife's name is Idel Njeri Delfino. I went and asked her parents for her hand in marriage.

I love my wife and when it comes to female fans, some are very disrespectful, they will deliberately come and hug me in her presence, just to spite her. They ask for my number, but I always refer them to producers of shows if they are interested in acting. And by the way, most of them are not.

How long have you been married, do you have children and how do they deal with having a famous father?

I've been married for seven years and I have one daughter. She is 14. She loves that I am famous. Though she does not get any special treatment in school.

I love my family. I am that adventurous person who will wake up one day and decide we should travel to Tanzania or somewhere random. My wife loves it.

We love to travel, and of late we have really fallen in love with Dar-es-Salaam. We have gone there every December for the last four years.

So, you've been married seven years, you have a 14-year-old daughter and you didn't have a come-we-stay relationship with your wife. Do you care to explain that? Is your daughter from a previous relationship?

I knew you were going there and I have said what I have said. I have a 14-year-old daughter and she is mine. That is it.

Will do. Moving on swiftly, you have taken your daughter to an 8-4-4 boarding school, yet you were in a day international school (Rusinga). Didn't you want her to also experience the international schooling system?

I would love to, but have you seen the fees structure for IGCSE schools. We are talking about Sh300,000 per term excluding trips. And they are no ordinary trips. We are talking about trips to Europe. My parents could afford it, but not me.

At least not for now. But I will some day. I will also be driving a Range Rover and all those nice things.

Finally, we've seen a lot of entertainers aligning themselves with political parties as the election draws closer. Are you cashing in on politics too?

I'm NASA person and I get a lot of flak for it, but I am. In 2013 when I supported Baba (ODM leader Raila Odinga) openly, people were on my neck.

And sometimes I'll post political comments on my page just to irk people. In terms of cashing in on political mania, yes I am. In fact, I'm headed for a meeting with an aspirant after this. I can pull in crowds for anyone, regardless of political affiliation.