Kenya Theatre Awards 2026: Margaretta wa Gacheru, Tobit Tom and Makena Kahuha Among Winners

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.

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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