Many would recognize his face anywhere as the drunkard star in the Kenyan franchise “Mother-In-Law” that airs every Sunday on Citizen TV.
Patrick Oketch, popularly known as Charlie, has had a remarkable rags-to-riches journey. The thespian successfully transitioned from destitution to the big screens, captivating audiences.
His role was the stubborn drunkard from a rich family whose life was filled with unmatched drama. His on-screen wife was Catherine Kamau (Kate Actress), and the pair had a daughter named Olive, played by Ida Wanyoike.
Born in 1984 in Mathare slums, Charlie comes from a family of 5 boys. Life was never rosy for the actor growing up. Oketch’s family relocated to the Madiwa area in Eastleigh when he was around 3.
Unfortunately, in 1991, Oketch lost his father at the mere age of 7. Left with a single mom, the boys chipped in to assist their mother in fending for the family’s needs. However, life was still difficult as they often ended the day without eating.
After secondary school, Charlie’s dreams of higher education were shattered when he missed the opportunity to join university under government sponsorship by just one point.
He had to watch his friends join universities. Charlie’s first experience in the workforce was as a Matatu tout.
However, he quickly realized the demanding nature of the job as it took a toll on him. He decided to move to mjengo’s as a construction labourer.
“I decided to be a tout, but it was too demanding. Waking up every day to shout, ‘Tao! Tao! Tao!’ was just too much. I later got a job at a mjengo. Since I saw no hope in studying, I never went back to school,” he narrated.
Rolling blindly through his youth, Charlie unknowingly embarked on a new path when his younger brother applied on his behalf to a teacher’s training college. His aunt catered for the school fees.
“My younger brother applied for me to join a teacher’s training college, which my aunt graciously offered to sponsor. So I enrolled to train as a teacher, though my heart was not in it.”
Charlie went on to work as a P1 teacher at Thogoto before moving to the Soweto slums in the same capacity.
“I later became a P1 teacher at Thogoto before landing a teaching job in Soweto slums earning Sh. 3,000 per month,” he stated in a past interview with The Standard.
In 2007, having garnered a couple of teaching years under his belt, Patrick Oketch quit that career and followed a path in arts.
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During high school, Charlie had already discovered his knack for the arts. He offered a unique service to his peers: crafting well-written love letters for their girlfriends for a modest Sh. 20 charge.
One day, Charlie visited Kenya National Theatre, where he was fortunate to meet Jalang’o. Jalang’o asked him to translate a 200-page play into Dholuo, after which he earned Sh. 5000. The play was titled Mayie Love.
Charlie relentlessly pursued opportunities in the industry and eventually secured his first gig on Citizen TV’s Tahidi High. The show delved into the escapades of urban high school students.
“I got into Tahidi High and was fired after only three episodes. Then in 2008, Mother-In-Law was starting, and I got a call to play the role of Charlie.”
“The drunkard Charlie is my creation. It wasn’t in the original script.”
Mother-In-Law turned out to be Patrick Oketch’s big breakthrough. Charlie then began getting paid for both scriptwriting and acting. He also began receiving credits for his scripts.
Other than Mother-In-Law, he has participated in other films such as; The Captain of Nakara (2012), Sticking Ribbons (2013) and Intellectual Scum and Kaze in Tatsu Lion (2015).
