Catherine Wamuyu is the mastermind behind some of Kenya’s most popular and entertaining TV shows, Tahidi High and Mother-in-law. Both shows, which aired on Citizen TV for over a decade, kept audiences captivated and engaged. However, despite her success, little is known about the woman who pitched and founded these programs.
Before joining Citizen TV, Wamuyu had a stint at the government-owned broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). She joined KBC in 1991 after completing her studies and left in October 2005 to join Citizen TV. Wamuyu was trained as a producer at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) and stated that her admission was due to her honesty during the interview.
Wamuyu’s passion for drama developed while working on a program called “In Search of an Answer” at KBC, which dealt with social issues. She felt that the show was not doing enough to engage the public with the problems around them and believed that drama would be a more effective medium.
When Wamuyu joined Citizen TV, she pitched the idea for Tahidi High and was given the green light to produce it. She started with a budget of less than Ksh40,000 and a single cameraman. During the production of Tahidi High, Wamuyu went to great lengths to keep costs low, even asking crew members to contribute Ksh250 monthly for miscellaneous expenses.
Wamuyu’s hard work and dedication to her craft have not gone unnoticed. In 2009, she won the Kalasha Award as the best producer for both Tahidi High and Mother in Law. Through her exceptional performance in production, Wamuyu has become a respected figure in the Kenyan television industry.
