Kenyan entertainment industry has been hit hard following the demise of Nairobi half life actor Maina Wilfred Olwenya which occurred on Monday July 4.
Olwenya is said to have collapsed and was pronounced dead after being rushed to Nairobi Hospital.
He played the role of Oti, a gangster, in the Nairobi half life film that was produced in 2012. Not a lot about him is in the public eye considering the fact that he was not so much into social media.
Olwenya was born and grew up in Kangemi, Nairobi and began his primary education at Kangemi primary school. He proceeded to Murang’a boys but was later transferred to a Highschool in his home area.
He began acting professionally around 2005/2006 after clearing from High school. He however discovered his potential in the career while still in high school but did not participate in drama festivals which he thought were childish. He however would get paid to participate in several acting roles at Trans World Radio while still a student at Akibe School.
“Sometimes I look back and say it was not good for me to be cocky but what was happening was just, for lack of a better word, bullshit,” he said in a past interview.
While in High School, he was good in sciences. He loved Geography most but was disappointed in the end. He was however best in Physics.
About 12 years ago, he revealed that he did not undergone any formal training to polish his acting career. Whatever he did was out of observation, reading and experiences from life. In 2007, he joined Kenya National Theatre.
Apart from Nairobi Half life, he has featured in Poacher, Story of our lives, Pendo, Taliya among other films including popular TV dramas and series such as plot 10, Wash and set, Guy center, Mali and changes.
Aside from acting, he has served as a voice over artist at Radio Africa Group for over a decade and is behind popular adverts produced at Radio Jambo. He also featured in IEBC commercials and is also a director.
Had he not been an actor, he would have become either a scholar, priest or an engineer. In his younger years, he used to serve as an altar boy.
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