Most Kenyan’s know him as Man Njoro, the hilarious guy with a Kikuyu accent that has appeared on the Churchill Show numerous times and who raps in a manner that will keep you laughing for an hour. His collaboration with Rabbit, uko sure, is considered one of Kenya’s greatest ever hip hop tracks. In the song, a conversation takes place between Rabbit and man Njoro. Man Njoro acts as the naïve guy from central who has won charity money and has come to Nairobi to claim it. Since he’s unfamiliar with the Nairobi streets he meets Rabbit and asks for help. The comical flow then takes off.
His real name is Kevin Waithaka, the guy with countless personalities. He’s known mostly for his two personalities of Man Njoro and Nemesis. Man Njoro is what has made him famous. The kikuyu accent isn’t real, he conjures it up while rapping and doing standard comedy. Nemesis on the other hand is a fast flowing rapper who rhymes in fluent English. The personality shift is amazing. You won’t believe it’s the same guy.
“I started out with art then realized that music was my ideal passion. I was shy at first so I used to ghost write for other rappers. The courage to stand up on my own came slowly. The Man Njoro character started as a project X in a friend’s album. My friend loved what he heard and encouraged me to keep the character alive. A couple of months later, I was winning slams and performing on Churchill live as Man Njoro,” shares Kevin.
He keeps these two personas because they speak to different people. Many find it hard to balance culture and progress. Man Njoro appeals to everybody whereas Nemesis is for the die hard hip hop community. Apart from music and comedy, Kevin is a full time mechanic – a job he loves and is certified by the Directorate of Industrial Training.
“Working with Rabbit was an eye opener. As Man Njoro, I have worked with Rabbit, Ekori, Fundi Frank and also Chekmate on the club banger ‘Wanajua’. Most recently, I featured Annette on ‘Iruga’ which has done quite well too. Expect more release from Man Njoro soon while Nemesis is in the lab working.”
Kevin is a committed man who loves relationships and the institution of marriage. He has been in a steady relationship and says that his girlfriend isn’t that fond of Showbiz.
“She loves kevin, not the other two clowns Nemesis and Man Njoro,” he says.
“To all the people out there who are trying to do what they do well, I urge them to continue. Never give up. No one can question the skill and determination of Kenyan people. We do what we do and we do it differently. Just want to say a huge thank you to all my fans and everyone who enjoys my work. I’ll continue keeping my fans happy and man Njoro will get bigger and bigger. Oh…Nemesis too. He’s currently jealous of man Njoro but sees him as a source of motivation. Thank you.”
Shiro Shiro
June 21, 2013 at 9:43 am
uko chua? hehe. hilarious guy
EVE di poet
June 21, 2013 at 12:10 pm
cool guy. very funny