The Kenyan theatre industry gathered at the Kenya National Theatre on Thursday night to honour the very best at the 2026 Kenya Theatre Awards. Hosted by Martin Githinji and Kerry Kagiri, the ceremony saw actors, playwrights, producers, directors and productions recognised for their work in 2025.
As consistently reported by Sinema Focus, Kenyan theatre is enjoying its strongest moment yet, with back-to-back productions in 2025 that packed halls, experimented boldly with form and traversed genres. 2026 is also shaping up to be a promising year, with Prevail Presents set to celebrate its tenth anniversary in April, alongside upcoming productions such as Redemption, Too Early for Birds’ Wangari Maathai in April and Followers by Fifth Wall Productions in March.
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Among those honoured at the Kenya Theatre Awards was veteran arts journalist and critic Margaretta wa Gacheru, who died in August 2024 after a long illness. Gacheru received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award, while veteran set designer Daniel Mbugua was also recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Congratulations to the late Margaretta wa Gacheru on being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award (Posthumous),” a statement from the Kenya Theatre Awards read. “Her unwavering dedication to the arts, powerful voice in cultural discourse, and lifelong commitment to nurturing Kenya’s creative industry leave a legacy that will continue to inspire generations. We celebrate her impact, her brilliance, and the indelible mark she made on theatre and the arts.”
Free Me, a play on gender-based violence produced by Gathoni Kimuyu, emerged as one of the night’s standout winners, taking home four awards, including Best Director for Mugambi Nthiga and Best Production. Midnight Poetry matched that tally, with wins that included Best Spoken Word Production. ChemiChemi Players also had a strong showing, earning four awards, among them Best Playwright for Yafesi Musoke for Bad Girls of the Bible and Best Producer for Julisa Rowe. Prevail Presents rounded out the evening’s top performers with four awards of its own, including Theatre Company of the Year.
See a full list of the 2026 Kenya Theatre Awards winners below.
Best Director
Mugambi Nthiga – Free Me, Taji and Co. Production Limited
Best Producer
Julisa Rowe – ChemiChemi Players
Best Production
Free Me – Taji and Co. Production Limited
Best Playwright – Original Script
Yafesi Musoke – Bad Girls of the Bible, ChemiChemi Players
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Play)
Lucy Wache – Picha, Prevail Presents
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Play)
Michael Ndunda – Picha, Prevail Presents
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Play)
Joyce Musoke – Bad Girls of the Bible, ChemiChemi Players
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting (Play)
Tobit Tom – Free Me, Taji and Co. Production Limited
Best Breakthrough Female Performer
Renee Gichuki – Free Me, Taji and Co. Production Limited
Best Breakthrough Male Performer
Daljit Ochieng – Against the Tide, Son of Man Productions
Best Children’s Play
Beauty and the Beast – Braeburn Players
Best Costumes Design
Nancy Aluoch – Bad Girls of the Bible, ChemiChemi Players
Best Kikwetu Production
Wangu wa Makeri – Kwa Ndego Productions
Best Learning Institution (Schools)
Braeburn Gitanga Rd
Best Lighting Design
Charles Stephen – Midnight Poetry, Maina Mind Productions
Best Musical Score, Arrangement or Adaptation
Modest Chabari – Midnight Poetry, Maina Mind Productions
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Monologue
Makena Kahuha – Miss Understood, Astar Productions
Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Gathoni Waweru – Wangu wa Makeri, Kwa Ndego Productions
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Monologue
Cosmas Kirui – Locked In, Astar Productions & Sanaa Post
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Jazz Moll – Oliver, Braeburn Players
Best Performance by a Young Female Actor
Tana Gachoka – Just Juliet, Kenya Amateur Dramatics (KADS)
Best Performance by a Young Male Actor
Prajeet Ghose – Beetlejuice: The Musical, Braeburn School
Best Set Design
Mercy Muriuki and Mr Geoffrey Namulala – Into the Woods JR, Braeburn Garden Estate
Best Sound Design
Philip Mbaka & Tonny Koome – In the Name of the Father, Kenda Creatives
Best Spoken Word Production
Midnight Poetry – Maina Mind Productions
Best Stage Managed Production
Rita Gitau – Midnight Poetry, Maina Mind Productions
Best Two-hander Production
Of Cords and Discord – Prevail Presents
Theatre Company of the Year
Prevail Presents
Best Original Choreography in a Musical/Play
Aperture Africa Productions – The Matatu From Watamu Drove Into The Sea, Aperture Africa Productions Ltd
Jury’s Special Award
Caroline Ngorobi, Jukwaa Arts Production
Martha Galavu and Masidza Galavu, Shujaa Stories
Esther Kamba, Playreading KE
Lifetime Achievement Award (Living)
Daniel Mbugua
Lifetime achievement award (Posthumous)
Margaretta wa Gacheru
Ushirika Award
Royal Media Services
World Impact Award
Adam Chienjo
Also see our list of Kenyan Theatre Shows to See in 2026 (So Far). For films and TV shows releasing this year, explore our What to Watch guide.
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©️ 2026 Sinema Focus / African Film Press. All rights reserved.
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