Mo Faya portrays Kenya’s tough slum life comically

By George Orido

Slums are often associated with everything negative. But in a musical, Mo Faya, currently running at the GoDown Arts Centre the message is different: "They call it a Slum, We call it Home."

The story of Kwa Maji slum is told in very positive light through narration and song. In the opening scene, the narrator says it is in Kwa Maji that you find the biggest mandazi, the softest chapati, the juiciest nyama choma, and the sweetest chang’aa.

This rider under banner posters, billboards and all publicity material promoting the musical by Eric Wainaina is imperative in understanding the two main tribes in Kenya — the poor and the rich. Mo Faya is also about how the two tribes plan, execute and sustain land use and other resources in the country.

And in the play, starring Eric Wainaina as DJ Luanda, the people of Kwa Maji are endowed with every manner and skills of survival. DJ Luanda, for instance, runs the Kwa Maji FM that keeps the community in touch with each other and the goings on in the surrounding areas.

Through DJ Luanda’s popular programme, the whole concept about participation and involvement is perfected through listener call ins, and DJ Luanda’s residence in Kwa Maji means he shares the pains, anger, frustrations, joys and dreams of the slum dwellers.

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"I saw an opportunity to address inequality and the story of Luanda came in handy," says Wainaina.

Address Inequality

In the play, the greed of merchants and people in power is depicted in their insensitive dealings with slum dwellers.

Take, for instance, Anna Mali (Mumbi Kaigwa) who comes to the slum to entice DJ Luanda with a better job complete with high perks in exchange to forsake his position as popular opinion leader and defender of human rights.

Mali’s plan is noble on the surface: to upgrade the slum to high-rise buildings, allegedly with running water, electricity and the ever-elusive security. But her plan in the long run is to increase rents so that the deserving occupiers from the slum could get rent fatigue and sell their houses at throw away prices to Mali’s Congress for Urban Renewal (Cure).

Cure is then to resell the flats at exorbitant prices, making a kill for Mali and her cahoots in power. And this plot didn’t come by chance. It is based on a true story that continues to beleaguer slum upgrading projects in Kenya.

"I followed the Mathare 4A and Kibera slum upgrading, and this is a true reflection of NGOs (New Growth Opportunity) programmes," says Wainaina.

Wainanina cites the Nyayo highrise project that was initially meant for Kibera slum dwellers only for occupants to change on completion.

The presentation of Mo Faya is witty and rich in persuasive language that makes the audience glued to their seats for the two- hour long musical.

In carefully selected music that paces the time, mood and urgency of the moment, Mo Faya is an entertaining piece where the audience is often laughing at himself.

How else does one explain the uncontrollable laughter from the audience that follows serious threats by the Vigilante Group leader (Peter King) when he sings in a deep baritone "I will catch them, seize them and cut their throats, skinning their heads"?

Kenyans are only fresh to the memories of recent deadly events involving outlawed vigilante groups that at times threatened to bring the social system to its knees.

In Mo Faya the slum dweller forever bears the burden of all the ills schemed by politicians and business associates.

Two enterprising young men, Oti and Karis — operating water supply and sewage management services, use the same tanks for both services, making a mockery of their sales manta ‘For all your clean and ever fresh water needs’. The business thrives and Karis can’t hide this irony, "You see it pays to have people you know in low places."

Mo Faya illuminates the rot with our education and its potential to change lives.

Mali, the chief villain in this musical, sings "I went to a secretarial college and later realised my 90 words per minute wasn’t important to go up the ladder."

She says the way up is to bend in a short skirt before her boss while picking her pen ending with her trademark call "One, Two, Three, Kamata.

The one thing I find not tying up with Mo Faya is its perceived metaphor to Luanda Magere story. Magere was enticed with a beautiful woman by the enemy after refusing to heed advice of the elders.

Celebrated Artistes

On the other hand DJ Luanda actually listens to his girlfriend and comes back from Kwa Maji FM after a sojourn with Big City Radio. What is true is they both share a common fate — death.

Safaricom’s sponsorship of Sh12 million to the production has gone a long way in ensuring its quality.

The musical displays talented and celebrated artistes including Valerie Kimani of the Tusker Project Fame I, Mumbi Kaigwa who has previously featured in the popular Australian family soap Neighbours and Peter King, Best Actor, Kalasha Awards.

The Crew includes Hirst Wainaina (producer) Tim Rimbui (sound design), John Sibi Okumu (director) and Daniel Kiwasi (choreographer).