In the vibrant hustle of Nairobi, two young visionaries—Philip Karanja and Abel Mutua—set out with modest beginnings but bold ambitions, later co-founding one of Kenya’s most noteworthy film production hubs: Phil-It Productions.
Their journey began in 2007 on the set of Tahidi High, where both men worked as extras earning a pauper’s wage of KSh 500 per episode. Yet, even at this humble stage, the pair recognized the value of persistence and storytelling. As their roles evolved into more substantial parts, their pay rose to KSh 3,000 per episode, and by the time Karanja left the show in 2011, he was receiving KSh 20,000 per episode.
Philip’s fascination with the filmmaking process intensified when he transitioned to a production assistant role around 2008. This exposure nurtured his aspiration to become a director. He ultimately departed Tahidi High in 2014, having taken on responsibilities both in front of and behind the camera.
The duo’s major breakthrough arrived with the comedic pilot The Real Househelps of Kawangware, which launched them into the spotlight and introduced stars like Timothy “Njugush” Kimani and Steven “DJ Shiti” Oduor to Kenyan audiences.
Despite early triumphs, they encountered setbacks. By 2016, they had invested heavily in multiple pilot productions, only to see those projects fail to get commissioned—losing over KSh 1 million across about four concepts.
Unchecked expenses and mismanagement eventually plunged Phil-It Productions into debt—about KSh 3 million. Yet instead of letting this defeat them, Philip and Abel took it as a hard-earned lesson. Seeking strategic guidance, they consulted business expert Stanley Gichobi and revamped their approach—this time targeting consumers directly via their own streaming platform, philit.tv.
They debuted their first film, Grand Little Lie, in October 2021, which just managed to recoup its production costs. A follow-up, Click Click Bang, was an even bigger success. Altogether, the films earned a gross income of KSh 9 million via their platform, underlining the latent demand for homegrown Kenyan content.
Today, Philip and Abel continue to expand their vision for philit.tv, positioning it as a nurturing ground for other Kenyan filmmakers. From earning KSh 500 as an extra to generating millions from their own movies, their journey epitomizes resilience, creative evolution, and the promise of a burgeoning Kenyan film industry.
