Beyond Linah Sande’s brilliant portrayal of Mvera, the rest of the supporting and antagonist characters deliver a hodgepodge of cinematic performances that lack a consistent standard of craft or technique.
By Frank Njugi
In the annals of Kenyan history, one story perennially narrated is that of Giriama legendary activist, Mnyazi wa Menza, also known as Mekatilili Wa Menza. Mekatilili was a Kenyan independence activist who led the Giriama people against the colonial administration of Kenya between 1912 and 1915. As a woman leading in a period when women’s voices were not heard, Mekatilili is seen as a pioneer who initially opened the way for feminist struggle. The acts of resistance of Mekatilili for the self-determination of their people inspired many African activists to continue to struggle for freedom.
Kenya’s latest addition to Netflix, Mvera, uses Mekatilili’s life story as its prologue and premise. The film is directed by Daudi Anguka, one of the most prominent filmmakers from the Kenyan Coastal region, known for Swahili telenovelas such as Pete (2019) and Sanura (2022). Released initially on September 9th, 2023 at Nyali Cinemax in Mombasa, Kenya, Mvera premiered on Netflix in July 2024. The film had previously been announced as Kenya’s official submission to the 2024 Academy Awards by the Oscars Selection Committee Kenya (OSCK), vying for the Best International Feature Film Award.
In the film, Anguka uses the story of Mekatilili as a harbinger for narrating an internecine battle between an organ trafficking ring and a girl called Mvera, who embodies the strength and courage associated with Mekatilili. The plot follows this main protagonist portrayed by Kenyan actress, Linah Sande, as she realises that the promised opportunities of working abroad for her village people are a sham. Upon this realisation, she is tasked with delivering the truth about these false promises to her people and preventing the atrocities she witnesses from ever happening again.
The antagonist of the film is Mr. Thabiti, portrayed by Patrick Owino, who orchestrates the scam that deceives Mvera’s village people into believing they are being taken abroad for work, while in reality, their organs are trafficked. Mr. Thabiti works hand in hand with tertiary characters such as Mzee Kombo, a village elder portrayed by Hillary Namanje, and Dr. Kraft, portrayed by Caro Gommans, in his ruse.

Mvera, as the protagonist, is presented as the heroine who drives the action from beginning to end. Her character arc is compelling enough to sustain the audience’s interest throughout the film. Sande, in her performance, displays virtuosic perfection, one I would go as far as proclaiming suggests to be studied. Her effort and ability to fit into her role appropriately and plausibly is noteworthy.
But beyond Linah Sande’s brilliant portrayal of Mvera, the rest of the supporting and antagonist characters deliver a hodgepodge of cinematic performances that lack a consistent standard of craft or technique. Patrick Owino, as Mr. Thabiti, is expected to be imposing and command attention, which he does. However, this becomes all there is to his character. The key to a successful antagonistic portrayal is to have the audience understand why the character is the way they are, and this depth is missing in Owino’s performance.
Nobody in real life is exclusively bad all the time, and if a villain in a film is 100% evil, they risk ending up being cartoonish, bordering on ridiculous. The film, though, can be praised for doing well in giving him a backstory, providing a glimpse into what shaped his character. However, this privilege is only awarded to Mr. Thabiti, while other point-of-view characters lack a backstory.

For example, Mvera has a love interest named Mangi, portrayed by Juma Shibe. While Shibe’s performance is prolific as he blithely reveals and dramatises the pain and frustration of his fellow villagers, Mangi is woven as a narrative placeholder, merely an appurtenance to Mvera’s pattern of narrative. We don’t learn anything about him, which is a sign of narrative laziness and something that earns my ire.
Perhaps, it is to compensate for these deficiencies that Anguka employs the services of famed musicians from Kenya’s coastal region, such as Kaa La Moto, Reagan Dandy, Jovice Josh, and Alex Big Soul Mugenda, to provide the film’s soundtracks. The artistes delight with songs such as “Mvera”, “Mapepo”, “Mwenye Mudzi”, and “Muzhoge” —a popular Giriama war song. Through this music, they enhance the emotional impact of the visual images of Pwani, Kenya, where the film is set.

Ultimately, with Mvera, one might question the possibility of a single actor having the aptness to pull a movie out of the realm of averageness and make it one with cinematic candor. Yet, in this film, one thing is clearly visible: Linah Sande’s performance. Through the way she expresses not only the emotions of her protagonist character but also the original ideas from Anguka, her portrayal carries the entire film. Perhaps, that’s why Kenya saw it as a fitting contender for the 2024 Academy Awards.
Rating: 3.0/5
(Mvera is currently streaming on Netflix)
Frank Njugi is a Kenyan Writer, Culture journalist and critic who has written on the Kenyan and East African culture scene for platforms such as Debunk Media, Republic Journal, Sinema Focus, Culture Africa, The Elephant, Wakilisha Africa, The Moveee, Africa in Dialogue, Afrocritik and others. He tweets as @franknjugi.