"Netflix deal was so secretive I couldn't even tell my family!" Butita

Comedian Eddie Butita by becoming the first comedian in Kenya to land a lucrative deal with Netflix as a Swahili writer and director.

The entertainer announced the news two weeks ago in a triumphant social media post. But there was more to the deal that he didn't reveal, something that he was more than willing to do in an interview with Jalang'o today.

It all started when Butita received a phone call while at home. At the other end of the line was a representative of Hiventy, a production company in Kenya.

Why had they called him? The comedian said he felt it was because of the work that he had done as a writer on Njugush's Through Thick and Thin stand-up comedy show.

(Let's not forget that he has also written for Njugush, Churchill, Jalang'o, MCA Tricky, Eric Omondi, Chipukeezy, Prof Hamo and many more). 

"He gave me a brief description of the work and asked for a meeting so that we could discuss it more. I kept asking what the nature of the work was and how it would be distributed but they were very secretive. They kept saying the film was a feature of video on demand platforms but never made it clear that it was Netflix until I was deeply involved in the project," Butita said.

The comedian who is dating fellow entertainer Mammito said that his first go at a script was rejected. That prompted him to have to work on his skills to match the quality of work that was required.

He explained that the project was so secretive that all the Kenyan voice actors involved were bound by a strict contract to maintain secrecy until the release of the show.

Even his own close friends and family members found out about the film on September 16 when he made the announcement.

Butita also revealed that working on the show had been an eye-opener for him saying,

"There are broadcast rights, digital rights, there are contracts for just the performance, contracts for recording and there are also contracts for different territories," he explained.

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