Meet Kenya's female scriptwriters who built a career in film and TV

The quiet architects of your favourite scenes. The minds who stitched together the plots, twists, and emotional punches that keep you glued to the screen.

Ever wondered how they got into this world? How they keep their creative juices flowing? Or why, in Kenya's film and TV industry, the majority of scriptwriters seem to be women?

BD Life met up with three of Kenya's most formidable writers who let us into the craft, chaos, and courage it takes to write for a living.

You need to be a creative hermaphrodite.

For Mona Ombogo, 47, a screenwriter, writing has been part and parcel of her life from an early age. From scribbling in books at just two years old to telling stories after snooping through people's belongings, Mona wrote her first book at nine — a ten-page story.

"The book was about a girl who grows up poor and then she's adopted by this family. She then finds out that her dad is really rich, and he had left her this inheritance. And now she had a place/voice in the world, because she wasn't a liability anymore."

After finishing high school, Mona took a gap year, during which she wrote screenplays performed in church and even won awards. This sparked her interest, and she left for the USA to study communication but did not complete the course, choosing instead to move to the UK to study scriptwriting.

"I did my diploma course (screenwriting for radio, TV and film) in London for a year but stayed there for six years before coming back to Kenya," she says.

So, where does she source her ideas?

"Because I'm a naturally curious person, I learned how to ask questions, dig and something will just bloom. A specific example... around 2014, we had just finished shooting Changes and our very last scene was at Serena Hotel. I was sitting there having breakfast when one of my friends started telling me stories about this cop who was no-nonsense in Eastlands. So, I got that idea for a show, which became a short film and then evolved into a series called Borderline."

When she has an idea, Mona first pens a rough synopsis, then breaks down the characters, the world, and the "why" — what do we want people to see? What are the scenes? Only then does she move on to scripting.

Unlike many writers, Mona says she does not suffer from creative block. How so?

"I am always working on multiple things, so that helps me not get too overwhelmed or caught up in one story to an extent I can't see it anymore. Secondly, I believe in being in touch with my soul and feel when I'm getting tired, so I move away before the block comes... kind of like you feel yourself getting thirsty so you drink water before you are dehydrated."

That being said, Mona still faces her fair share of difficult patches. "When I'm writing something and realise, I'm on a page for like 30 minutes... I know the problem is not writer's block but the scene. So, I walk away and come back."

Though she is a seasoned, award-winning scriptwriter, Mona shares that writing a pitch and not getting picked has happened to her countless times.

However, some rejections have felt like a stab to the heart. "The one that has been a bit of a disappointment is a series called Generation A, which is not out yet. I applied for a lab with it in South Africa and thought I would get in because I have been one of the readers for that lab. I was shortlisted but didn't make it."

Still, the bounce-back is what matters. "I pitched it for the Red Sea Labs in Los Angeles and Jeddah and we got in within a month."

Would you classify this as a script you are most proud of? "Yes. Together with Shanga, just because we had the right to create how we saw, and Volume, an original story that is on Netflix. Why? I won Best Scripted Series for the AMVCA with that one, plus it allowed us to stretch the boundaries."

Yet, the biggest challenge Mona has faced is being what she calls a "creative hermaphrodite" to survive.

"Njoki Muhoho would always be pushing me out of my comfort zone, telling me I need to get out into the world. The other person is Damaris Irungu, who understood the business angle of writing... she really puts herself out there."

To Mona, one of the biggest misconceptions about scriptwriters is that people think they care more about the story than the people behind it.

"They think we just sit and it rained all day, sand, and I don't care how that rain is going to be produced. Rain is very expensive to produce. And it's a big misconception because if anybody really cares about a script, it's the mother of that script."

For those looking to join the scriptwriting world, Mona offers two simple yet powerful sentences: "Just do it. Walk your script."

My inspiration? Teso North Mwari

From an early age, Tecla Joan, 27, a scriptwriter for film and television, was drawn into the world of storytelling. After supper, her grandparents would often share tales with her, planting the seeds of a lifelong love for narrative.

As a result, during her schooling, she wove these stories into her compositions, often crafting pieces inspired by the tales she had heard. Her talent did not go unnoticed. A high school English teacher nurtured her skills, encouraging her to enter an essay writing competition — where she clinched second place in Busia County.

"When I was in Form Three, I wrote my first story after being inspired by watching Nigerian movies. I used to pitch it to TV Magharibi in Bungoma," she shares. "Though the media house didn't support me much in writing, they gave me an opportunity to learn editing programmes."

Two years later, Tecla came across an advert on television for the Multichoice Talent Factory and applied for a year-long filmmaking class — a decision that would mark a turning point in her career."All 20 of us were asked to pitch stories that would be turned into a feature film.

My story — about a kingdom with oil — was merged with another student's story about a village with water challenges, and together, Ensulo was born in 2019, a script I am so proud of," she says.

Being part of her first professional feature film — and earning nominations and eventually winning the Best Production Design Award — was a breakthrough moment.

At just 21, Tecla was beginning to get noticed, albeit mainly as a production designer.

"As I continued working, a new channel was launched for Maisha Magic. I pitched another story idea, Amandla, and received funding to shoot it. I was advised to be the co-producer, and through this project, Njoki Muhoho reached out and taught me how to balance the three roles of writer, producer, and production designer."

But where does she draw her inspiration from? "From real-life experiences and memories of my upbringing in Teso North, Mwari."

When grappling with writer's block, Tecla turns to music — classical performances by Oprah (likely meant to be operatic performances), Andrea Bocelli, and Luciano Pavarotti, as well as K-pop — letting melodies reignite her imagination. When even music fails to spark ideas, she immerses herself in films that mirror the genre she's working on.

Although she prefers working on original stories rather than adaptations, Tecla acknowledges that many investors in Kenya remain hesitant.

"My biggest challenge as a scriptwriter is having to conform to what the industry already demands," she says. "I would love to do fantasy and sci-fi stories, but most of what we see are dramas and telenovelas."

Has she faced rejection? "Oh yes. In fact, about two weeks ago, I pitched a TV show to investors outside Kenya, and I received a rejection letter — on my birthday. I'm still trying to bounce back."

In her six-year career, Tecla says the biggest lesson she has learnt is patience. "I came into the industry thinking I would immediately change the stories being told," she says, "but I didn't realise how much challenges like funding and investor scepticism shape what actually gets produced."

This reality has led to the misconception that Kenya's scriptwriters simply recycle ideas — a notion she firmly refutes.

As the series producer and writer of Shanga, Tecla offers this advice to aspiring scriptwriters: "You are going to get many 'no's and rejections, but believe in yourself."

Sometimes you bring your table…

At the tender age of nine, Damaris Irungu had already written a novel. But it was at 12, while rummaging through her old belongings, that she realised her true passion: scriptwriting. The novel she had penned in pencil had faded — yet the dream endured.

Additionally, at nine, she wrote her first shairi, Kitamba cha Mkono. With help from her drama teacher, Mr Njenga at Loresho Primary, she polished it and went on to compete at the provincial level.

"I think I got to the provincials and I was hooked from then. I remember my mum getting me to recite the shairi and others in front of her chama guests, and how they would laugh at any funny stuff. I guess those were my first years of realising I wanted to bring people joy with my art."

Damaris' creative roots run deep. When her father gave away their television, she alternated between devouring novels through the night and indulging in telenovelas like Acapulco Bay whenever she could.

But how did she finally break into the industry? "I believe it was 2007 when my friend, Angel Waruinge — popularly known for her role as Ms Morgan in Tahidi High — found out about auditions for Makutano Junction.

I was a radio presenter at the time and wanted to try my hand at acting. We went for the auditions, and I got the acting role. While at the filming sessions, one time I looked at the scripts and I was like 'This is the kind of writing I want to do'. So, I asked the then head writer, Bridget Deacon (now MD at Shujaaz) if I could try my hand at writing. She said yes, and I was invited for the next writers' room as a trainee writer. The rest is history."

Though self-taught, Damaris had been a writer long before: crafting plays for inter-house competitions and drama festivals in school. Her writing process varies by project. For television series — especially fast-paced telenovelas like Kam U Stay — the writing is like a factory line: rapid, sequential, and relentless, because the set could start deteriorating if delays occurred.

"With a comedy like Kam U Stay, I'd ask the writers to pitch me ideas. Sometimes we'd meet to brainstorm, other times they'd have to just jump into the writing."

For sequential dramas, the approach is more structured: "The writers sit in a room for about two weeks. We create the world, the characters, the universe — then map out every episode. After that, the writers begin drafting, I edit the first drafts as head writer, send notes, and then we move onto the second and third drafts."

Inspiration for Damaris comes from everywhere — a trait she embraces wholeheartedly. "I'm the girl you'll find beating stories with the watchman. When I worked on a show known as Jastorina, I would sit down with the caretaker's wife. She had stories for days. I'd pay her something small and she'd give me all the estate gossip. When the Jastorina team met for brainstorming, I already had the whole series mapped out."

When creative burnout strikes, Damaris has a simple remedy: she fills her creative well. "I take time to refill my creative well. When I'm burnt out, I go easy on myself, I watch lots of plays, and read a lot of fun things."

While she loves working on original stories, funding remains the biggest hurdle. The scripts she is most proud of? "Pepeta — a Christmas movie — and Kam U Stay, which won a Kalasha award last year and is currently nominated for an AMVCA."

After writing professionally for 18 years, Damaris knows rejection well — and wears it as a badge of honour. "If your work hasn't been rejected, then you're not writing enough and putting yourself out there."

When you have been rejected how do you bounce back? "Over time you develop a thick skin. Sometimes I assure myself that my vision was too good or too big for them and they did not get it."

Getting into the scriptwriting career in 2007, Damaris says the biggest industry lesson she has learnt is to bring her seat to the table — and sometimes her own table.

"Stop waiting for people to give you permission. Give yourself permission. Everyone is doing it afraid, so come on, join us as we all do it afraid."

To upcoming writers, her advice is clear: "Go for it. Work hard. If you haven't found your writing voice you need to find it as soon as possible. I actually feel sad for writers who will discover AI before finding their writers' voice — they might never get their big break because they'll end up writing generic stuff that's not unique."

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