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The nine lives of comedian Eric Omondi


For Eric Omondi, one of the biggest celebrity names synonymous with comedy in Kenya, the stand-up comedy stage has not only been a platform to continuously crack up Kenyans, but also a stepping stone to self-discovery and tremendous growth.

As with any successful comedian who knows the value of correct timing, last year, Eric decided to leave the Churchill Show. The show is sort of the benchmark for any comedian eyeing the big league.

As one of the best comedians in Kenya, Omondi has already “made it”; still, it wasn’t an easy thing to do.

But it was a big decision that was going to further his journey in finding out what he wanted out of his career. With Daniel Ndambuki’s blessings, he left the nest and went to “fend for himself”.

MOVE OUT

“Did I leave?” he asks. “What do we call it because I didn’t quit. Let’s say I’m a first born, and I had to move out, that’s the best way to put it. Have you ever seen a 42-year-old man living with his mother? It’s very unattractive, I had to move out and build my own house, and I’m old enough now.”

Omondi always knew he was funny; it is not something he brags about, hence it is not surprising that his first stage was in primary school at Kondele Lake Primary School during a parent’s day event.

His poem was a hit with the parents, and thus began his journey. But he recalls that at that early age, people thought he talked too much.

“I’ve been unconsciously doing comedy ever since I was a kid, I used to be called a noisemaker but in essence, it was comedy,” he says.

Even though making people laugh was always one of the things he wanted to do in life, Omondi reveals that he desperately wanted to be a reporter.

After all, his years studying communication at Daystar University in Nairobi had prepared him to work as a reporter and, if he succeeded, moved on to become a news anchor, or so he thought. However, with just one story in at NTV, his career as a reporter only lasted two weeks.

Omondi can’t help but laugh when he reminisces about his brief stint as a news reporter.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

“I worked at NTV as a reporter for two weeks, I did one story after which they kicked me out. It was very bad. I was told I wasn’t good enough. I think I was there to find myself. People are supposed to do what they love, because then they can do it for a long time,” he says.

Omondi chalks down his two-week journalism career to good old experience. Looking back, he realises it did not come as easily or naturally to him like comedy.

Throughout university, Omondi had been doing comedy. Apart from being the drama club chairman, he had also appointed himself the unofficial college MC and would do stand-up comedy whenever he got the chance.

In 2006, he met Churchill (Daniel Ndambuki) who was doing Red Corner at the time. Like at any other event, he was the MC before Churchill got up to give a motivational speech.

It was at this point that Churchill discovered Omondi’s ability to make people laugh. He took his number and promised to get in touch with him, but since he took too long before communicating, Omondi gave up believing that Churchill would ever call.

Two years later, and true to his word, Churchill made the call.

That was the beginning of Omondi’s rise to fame and success that saw him as a fan favourite on Churchill Live until his departure last year.

Read the full story here.

SOURCE: Daily Nation