Njoro wa Uba S1-2

In perhaps the most relatable role for any Kenyan hustler out there, Joe Kinyua (How to Find a Husband, Sue na Jonnie) plays Njoro, a man who is forced to become a taxi driver to make ends meet and to provide for his daughter after he loses his managerial job at a bank due to allegations of fraud.

But the online taxi business is not an easy one to crack, as Njoro finds out soon enough when he is faced with various challenges that every Uber driver knows too well. From customers who try to weasel out of paying their fare by giving the most outrageous excuses, to those who reveal a little bit too much about their lives and even to the ones who turn into carjackers somewhere along their trip.

While highlighting the struggles that taxi drivers go through, Njoro wa Uba also captures the pains of unemployment in Kenya, the disadvantaged lives of the ordinary and the desperation that comes with it.

After all, it’s not hard to see yourself or someone you know (or have heard of) among this diverse cast of characters that are part of Njoro wa Uba’s world.

And Kinyua deserves praise for embodying the role of Njoro with as much desperation and cluelessness as any real person in his predicament would. It’s no wonder this is the role that has earned him the first Kalasha Awards nomination of his acting career.