Nairobi Half Life (2012): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2012, Nairobi Half Life is a drama film directed by David 'Tosh' Gitonga, running about 96 minutes. “Have we decided to be the way we are?” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Mwas, a young aspiring actor from upcountry Kenya dreams of becoming an accomplished actor one day, and in pursuit of this, he makes his way to Nairobi, the city of opportunity. He quickly understands why Nairobi is nicknamed Nairrobery as he is bereaved of all his money and belongings and left alone in a city where he doesn’t know a soul. Luck or the lack of it brings Mwas face to face with the city’s criminals and forms a friendship with a small time crook who takes him in. He is quickly drawn into a world of crime as he struggles to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Keeping the two worlds separate proves to be a challenge for Mwas as he steps into this unknown world called Nairobi.

Who’s in it. Nairobi Half Life stars Joseph Wairimu as Mwas, Olwenya Maina as Oti, Nancy Wanjiku Karanja as Amina and Mugambi Nthiga as Cedric, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.7/10, Nairobi Half Life has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Demand Africa Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Nairobi Half Life page.

If you liked it. Fans of Nairobi Half Life tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.