Back in the day, Vioja Mahakamani, which aired on Kenya’s pioneer TV channel KBC, was a must-watch for everyone. The court drama was not only educational and humorous but also inspired many young viewers to pursue a career in legal.
One of the standout characters in the show was Lucy Wangui, who played a strict magistrate for almost 20 years. As Magistrate Lucy Wangui, she handled numerous cases in the drama.
The no-nonsense woman delivered her rulings with firmness and imparted valuable lessons through her verdicts.
She always listened to both the prosecutors and defendants before delivering her final verdict and striking the gavel against the sounding block. However, little is known about her life outside the courtroom.
Magistrate Lucy Wangui was born in Ziwani, Kariakor area of Nairobi County. Growing up, she aspired to become a nurse or a secretary, as both were considered respectable professions. Acting had never crossed her mind.
Before meeting Mzee Tumbo, who convinced her to audition for a role in Vioja Mahakamani, Lucy Wangui worked as a secretary and at a bakery. Both jobs provided her with a relatively fair salary.
She excelled in her auditions, immediately quit her job, and went after her acting career. According to a past interview, Mrs. Wangui would earn between Sh. 20 and Sh. 40 per show.
“I used to earn between Sh. 20 and Sh. 40 per show, in the early 70s you understand that’s a whole lot of cash in a teen’s life,” she said.
Makokha Makacha: My rise from street boy in Nairobi to legendary comedian
She noted that at one point, she earned as much as Sh. 400 in a day. Throughout her acting career, she showcased her talent to prominent figures, including former Kenyan heads of state, President Moi and President Kibaki.
“You can’t believe that moment I can really highlight as the day I got the jackpot. I earned Sh. 400!”
She stated that creativity and humility were valuable traits that kept her afloat in the industry and pushed her success. She credits Mzee Pombe as her mentor.
“It’s so difficult to our generation and when we started out, the young ones want to do it in their way and that becomes the beginning of their career end.”
Ms. Wangui cited Daniel Ndambuki, aka Churchill, as an example of a man whom, despite his success has managed to mentor and provide opportunities for younger people to showcase their talents.
“What the youth look for is the money but lack the patience, once they get that, then the next thing is they eventually disappear from the scenes,” she said.
“There is no shortcut for success, especially when it comes to art. Discipline, commitment and humility have kept Vioja Mahakamani at the summit for all these years.”
Other shows she has appeared in, aside from Vioja Mahakamani, include Vitimbi, Darubini, and Kivunja Mbavu. After years on KBC’s Vioja Mahakamani, Ms Wangui left the show in solidarity with Ondiek, Olexander Josephat (Peter Sankale), and others.
KBC wanted to introduce new actors in the show, which was met with resistance from the original show’s faces. Hence they all quit together at once.
“When the cast of Vitimbi was told to leave due to their old age, we quit in solidarity as we are a family,” she said.
In December 2019, at the 6th edition of the Sanaa Theatre Awards, the mother of three received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
