Comedy play 'Vacant' pays tribute to Bilal Wanjau's iconic 'Afande' character

Five male inmates find themselves under the watch of a determined, bold female prison warder in Vacant, a comedy play inspired by veteran theatre practitioner the late Bilal Wanjau’s character Afande in the TV show Jela 5 Star.

Presented by DM Chronicles, the play will be staged on August 2 at Klique Hotel in Eldoret.

Written by David Mburu and directed by Rodgers Liambira, the play is set inside Block B prison and revolves around a group of inmates and an ambitious prison warder, Madam Cheptelmet (Oddah Ngetich).

The inmates are DB (Kevin Njenga), Muli (David Mburu), Kosoro (Major Bwire), Pablo (Emilio Sarich) and Kruger (Alex Githuka), while Shiro (Gloria Rop) brings a plot twist towards the end.

Vacant explores the themes of deception, crime, justice, and unity.

Every prisoner insists that they are innocent while crafting unbelievable and comical stories.

Kosoro poses as a lawyer despite having no legal qualifications; DB is being investigated for a bank robbery at the bank where he works; Kruger is a conman; Muli is arrested for perjury; and Pablo is a poet.

The inmates search for freedom through the law, poetry, superstition or sheer luck.

Ngetich says that Madam Cheptelmet is a prison warder determined to earn respect even though she is being underestimated for her height. She loves her job and believes that she was born to do it. She also craves recognition since she wants to excel in her career.

She exaggerates her achievements by claiming to have worked with elite security agencies and served as a presidential bodyguard, depicting her ambition. She maintains authority by issuing threats but later learns that every inmate needs a different approach.

“She wants people to respect her. She has been a prison warder for a long time and wanted to achieve more, so she creates this image of herself. Her greatest fear is failing in her work,” she says.

Ngetich divulges that one of the funniest moments in the play is when Muli openly prays for a prison escape while standing in front of Madam Cheptelmet.

She says that audiences will enjoy the character because of her character’s confidence and humour.

“She is a Kalenjin woman, and we are known for praising ourselves. She brings out that funny side while also showing that being short does not stop someone from leading,” she says.

She adds that staging plays in hotel venues gives audiences a more intimate setting while giving performers feedback from audience reactions.

Playwright David Mburu says Vacant was inspired by the late Bilal Wanjau and his comedy TV show, Jela 5 Star. Madam Cheptelmet is reimagined as Wanjau’s character Afande.

"It is a tribute to Bilal Wanjau. I attended many of his shows and wanted to honour his work," Mburu says.

While prisons are portrayed as bleak environments, Mburu chose comedy to challenge audiences' perceptions.

He says he wanted to show the brilliant people who found themselves in predicaments and that not everyone behind bars is guilty.

He adds that every character was created to represent a different aspect of society.

“Pablo speaks through poetry; Cheptelmet is relatable; Muli represents the Akamba community in Eldoret's multicultural setting; Kruger embodies fraud, while DB is portrayed as an educated bank manager,” he describes.

He notes that audiences relate to flawed and unconventional characters, for they depict experiences found in everyday communities, such as fraud, ambition and the search for redemption.