Faith Kibathi talks about her role as Rebecca in Single Kiasi S4

Faith Kibathi returns to her role as Rebecca in the latest season of Single Kiasi, now on Showmax. Her character has been through a wild ride in the series so far, but will she finally find peace in Season 4?

Faith let us in on her character's motivations, and how her life is about to change.

Rebecca has been through heartbreak and healing. What drives her this season?

This season? Love. She needs a change from the toxicity that she has gone through from Seasons 1, 2, 3, especially with her baby daddy. With her baby daddy it was love at first sight. Then they had kids, and things went the way they went. Now we can see his true colours. So now she is like, I deserve good things, I deserve love. 

What scene do you think fans will connect with most emotionally? 

People can look forward to that particular scene. We know that Rebecca really loves her kids. So if anyone tries to come and ruin that or just make her kids uncomfortable, she is going to fight you to the ground. She does not care. 

How does Rebecca juggle love, motherhood, and ambition? 

I do not think she juggles. I think she just takes it. She is a fighter. She is taking it one day at a time, especially because there is no script, there is no manual on how to juggle everything. So for her, it is taking it one day at a time. I think she is carrying it well, honestly. I do not know how she has not lost her mind and gone for therapy yet. She needs therapy. 

How do you show Rebecca’s growth from Season 1 to now? 

Physically we can see her changing, even her taste in fashion, her make-up changes and everything. I think it is greatly influenced by her friends. With Mariah, by herself, like, girl, you have to put the lashes right. From Season 1 she transitioned to loving herself more. The world is becoming more colourful and I think she is taking that in. 

How do family pressures shape her choices this time? 

This season she is now putting the pressure on herself. We see what she does to her kids, and there is a moment in time where we see the irony of that. She is called out by someone close to her to be like, if this is how you are going to treat your kids then why are you shocked someone else is treating you the same way? She takes a minute to be like, oh, okay. So I need to fix myself. I am not perfect. I like that she is learning with all her mistakes. 

If Faith was to advise Rebecca, what would you tell her and why? 

I would tell her, love yourself more, girl. You deserve more. She is so forgiving and welcoming, but that is her. She is good people. But she needs to put her guard up more for herself. She is always there for her kids, always there for her friends, always defending them. But who really is coming to defend her? She needs to take care of herself first so that she is able to take care of others. 

After so much heartache, what does “happy ending” mean for Rebecca now? 

Peace. She has not had peace, even with her kids. She is really going through it being a single mom. The friends say they are there for you. They are there in the best way they can, but they cannot really take all the burden from her. For her it is peace. It is not even love. It is peace and respect at the end of the day. 

Your role brings out something that so many women are dealing with daily. Do you feel pressure to portray it in a way that reflects reality? 

Absolutely. When I first got the role I was just like, okay, it is just a mom role, la la la la. Then Season 1 is done and I am meeting fans of the show. They are like, oh my God, you really speak to me. I forgot the part where we actually impact society. Now I feel the positive weight of having to speak on their behalf, having to show their point of view, their strong points and their weak points, and to just show they are human beings at the end of the day. They are going through it. They may not handle it the best way, but they are doing their best. 

What makes working with Insignia such a great experience? 

If I am able to crack jokes and laugh with people on set, I know that is a good environment to be in. I feel comfortable. I feel heard. I feel understood from the top all the way. It is respect all the way. I love that because no one is better than the other. We all listen to and understand each other. You need this energy when you are on set. You need a lot of support. 

What next? 

For me, I do not know. I am leaving it to God. I always avoid saying the next thing is this because jinxing is real. I would really love to fully explore international borders and have interaction with actors from South Africa, from Nigeria, from Hollywood. I would like to focus on Africa first so that we can tell our stories in our own way. That is what I am looking forward to. 

Who is most like their character and who is the opposite? 

Richie as Minor is more him, the comedy part, just the way he is. Who is not like their character at all? I think Shinta Mae is not like her character at all. The corporate and you have to do things this way, I do not think so. She is very easy. She is fun. 

What behind-the-scenes moment from past seasons still cracks you up? 

There was a time it was the first day on set for Lenana as Nick back in Season 1. The shot was being framed a certain way, but he was too tall so he had to walk as if he was injured, like with broken legs and bending. It was just weird. He had to keep a straight face and I was just trying to hold back. 

What is your go-to snack or meal after a long day of shooting? 

It will always be ice cream. If the ice cream has chocolate, then we are home. I do not even need to eat anything else. Give me that and water, and we are good. 

Who would win a Single Kiasi karaoke battle? 

Obviously Gathoni. She has a good voice, good vocals. 

Describe your character in Season 3 and 4 using emojis. 

Season 3, the angry emoji. She was pissed, she was heartbroken. Then she meets Nick again, who broke her heart. She has to work there. Season 4, the emoji where it is a plain face just smiling upside down because things are burning but I am okay. 

If your character could have a crossover with any other Kenyan show, which would it be? 

Black and Blue. Imagine the comedy of Black and Blue and the dramedy of Single Kiasi. That would be funny. 

What past scene would you love to redo? 

The first scene of the show, the one with Ntamie’s traditional wedding, so we could get to beat up the guy. That is my only reason. Why did we let him go? Fight him. 

Who brings the best energy on set on tough days? 

It is me. If they say it is someone else, they are lying. It is me. 

Stream new episodes of Single Kiasi every Wednesday on Showmax. Seasons 1-3 are also available to binge-watch.