At the time of his burial at Langata Cemetery, Mzee Ojwang was more widely recognized for his Luo heritage rather than his roots in Mukurweini, Nyeri County. Ojwang earned his nickname while working as a theatre technician at Mater Hospital due to his distinctive style of dress.
He rose to fame in the early 1980s when he auditioned for the Darubini show on KBC, later renamed Vitimbi. Ojwang’s acting career included not only his work on Vitimbi and national events, but also memorable commercials, such as the Strike insecticide commercial where he famously proclaimed the insecticide’s ability to kill insects “fofofo.”
Before his rise to stardom, Mzee Ojwang honed his acting skills at Bahati Social Hall. Some of his fellow pioneers from Vitimbi who have since passed away include Dennis Otieno, Joseph Anyona, and Sammy Muya.
According to Gibson Mbugua, all of Ojwang’s troubles began when he was unceremoniously fired from KBC. This sudden termination left him feeling lost and contributed to his drinking habits.
At 78 years old, Ojwang, widely recognized as the grandfather of Kenyan comedy, left behind his wife Augusta Wanjiru, two children Patricia Njeri and Michael Karira, and two grandchildren. He passed away due to pneumonia while being treated at Kenyatta National Hospital.
