Two feature films by graduates of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) East Africa academy are set to premiere on the Maisha Magic Plus and Maisha Magic East channels, as academy alumni apply their skills and talent to entertain audiences in the region.

The films, Full Time Husband and Somewhere in Kole, were produced as part of a collaborative project by teams of MTF students during their 12 months of training at the MTF Academy.

“We are incredibly proud of the work being produced by MTF students,” says MTF academy East Africa director Victoria Goro. “Their work is already at broadcast standard, and these powerful movies offer exciting entertainment with high production values that will have East African audiences on their edge of their seats. Best of all, these are African movies, made by young African people. They are relevant and authentic, and they are sure to resonate with Maisha Magic audiences.”

Full Time Husband tells the story of Mulongo, an unemployed man, who decides to divorce his businesswoman wife Julia, but then witnesses something that forces him to change his mind. The movie is directed by Habtamu S Mekonen and Juif Joseph, and it stars Moses Kiema and Zazira Kariuki.

Somewhere In Kole is the tale of Masanyu, a privileged 20-year-old YouTuber, who is unexpectedly called upon to preside over a ritual in his late father’s village, Kole, where he is the heir to the chiefdom. The movie is directed by Lynn Gitau and Edgar Hudson and stars Brian Furaha and Mugambi Ikiara.

The MTF academy East Africa is one of three academies across the continent that allow aspiring film and television professionals to learn from some of the best in the business in year-long immersion programmes. The course curriculum provides theory and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production, and storytelling.

The MTF academy East Africa is based in Nairobi, Kenya, the West Africa academy in Lagos, Nigeria, and the Southern Africa academy in Lusaka, Zambia. The academies draw students from 13 African countries, and offer a career-defining opportunity for young people wishing to pursue careers in the broadcast and production industries.

The MTF academies also develop the African film and TV industry by providing a pipeline of skilled professionals who already have experience on high-quality productions. The academies also boost local economies through job opportunities and supplier contracts.

“Creating high-level films for regional broadcast is a rite of passage for these talented young professionals,” says Goro. “The process of developing a script, pitching it, then filming the movie and putting it through post-production gives hands-on training and practical experience. It’s great that they can enter the industry with an achievement like this already under their belt.”

Full Time Husband premieres on 3 February at 9.30pm EAT, and Somewhere In Kole premieres on 10 February at 9.30pm EAT. Tower Post

Detectives arrested Kimathi alongside three officials of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Tuesday.

Derrick Kimathi, a businessman who claimed to own a garage at the site of Thursday’s gas explosion, has been arrested days after his lawyer denied culpability.

Detectives arrested Kimathi alongside three officials of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Tuesday.

Earlier in the week, Kimathi’s lawyer claimed that the LPG truck that exploded at his garage had trespassed without his knowledge.

The agency said it had established that Kimathi owned the illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) refiling plant which operated without approval from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

DCI indicated that Kimathi had a manager identified as Stephen Kilonzo oversee operations at the site.

It identified arrested NEMA officials as David Ongare (Director Environment Compliance), Joseph Makau (Head Environmental Impact Assessment) and Mirrian Kioko.

DCI said five suspects remained at large.

“These include Stephen Kilonzo (the site manager), Ann Kabiri Mirungi of NEMA, Lynette Cheruyoit (NEMA’s Senior Environmental Officer), truck driver Robert Gitau and Abraham Mwangi (driver).”

DCI asked the public to report or share any information on the whereabouts of the suspects by contacting the toll-free hotline 0800722203 or reporting in person at any police station. 

The tragic Embakasi gas explosion on February 1, claimed two lives with the death toll subsequently rising to six.

The blast which caused a fireball sent shockwaves in the neighboring residential area, leaving over 280 persons injured and dozens homeless.

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura reported additional deaths on Monday saying those who died at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) succumbed to burns sustained from the blast. By Sharon Resian, Capital News

Yoane Wissa (L) of Democratic Republic of Congo celebrates after scoring a goal during the Africa Cup of Nations quarter final match between Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on February 02, 2024. 

Kenya is this week hosting a high-level meeting meant to adopt strategies to address the current Africa's feed and fodder crisis.

In a meeting that kicked off in Nairobi today bringing together a host of experts from the continent, the five-day Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Project aims at driving an ‘African narrative that helps to make better evidence-based decisions for countries.’

African Union-InterAfrican for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Director Dr Huyam Salih said the three crises commonly referred to as “the three C’s” exposed Africa’s vulnerability, leading to eroded livelihoods, loss of incomes, and driven up prices of highly nutritive livestock sourced foods making them inaccessible to sections of the population that need them most.

According to Dr Salih, livestock feeding constitutes 60-70 percent of the total cost of livestock production.

“The recent drought in the Greater Horn of Africa region resulted in a massive loss of 9.5 million livestock, valued at over 2 billion USD,” she said in her opening remarks.