A select group of Kenyans were privileged to be the first to view the new, intriguing, and local show that hit the airwaves Sunday, 8 January 2023, hosted by MultiChoice Kenya.
Kenya’s top local content platform, Maisha Magic Plus, unveiled the country’s first regional true-crime documentary series hosted by the renowned producer John Allan Namu as he seeks to follow and reveal hidden or unacknowledged truths about infamous crimes perpetrated in Kenya.
The all-new riveting 2022 documentary and show is called the Last Door. It follows and retraces the last steps of victims of infamous and horrific murders before they met their deaths.
Speaking during the premiere of this latest local content addition that strengthens Maisha Magic platforms as Kenya’s best local storytellers, MultiChoice Kenya Managing Director Nancy Matimu hailed the show as unrivalled locally and thanked the entire production team for setting themselves apart with the continued high quality of their work within the video entertainment industry.
“Content is at the very core of the business. MultiChoice aims to deliver quality content anywhere, anytime and on any device through a comprehensive video entertainment offering at different price points. Once again, the production team has set itself apart with their latest piece of work. The last door is the show that opens the door for the public to view the entire story behind well-known local crimes, uncovering the mysteries of these fallen Kenyans,” said Nancy.
As pioneers in African video entertainment, MultiChoice plays an important role in making information and entertainment easily accessible to Africans.
According to the Channels Director, East and Southern Channels, Timothy Okwaro, MultiChoice Africa, through M-Net, continues to be the biggest investor in local content on the continent and has played a significant role in bringing the TV production industry to life across Africa.
“For that reason, DStv and GOtv via Maisha Magic platforms are the go-to platforms for Pan-African content, and we make sure we have something for everyone. Our content not only resonates with everyone but covers the West, East and South parts of the continent,” said Tim.
“Hyper-local content remains a strategic differentiator for us. We are committed to original Kenyan programming showcasing the best Kenyan content, such as this first local true-crime documentary series hosted by the internationally-acclaimed and renowned producer John Allan Namu,” he added.
According to the popular African Uncensored-produced Maisha Mkanda, among other popular documentaries, he cannot wait to unveil this show to Kenyans one week from now.
“This new local show will help viewers uncover the hidden truths and mysteries and hopefully offer some closure to some of our audiences, hence the need for us to dial up this suspense throughout the launch period,” said Namu.
On his part, the CEO Kenya Film Commission Timothy Owase praised MultiChoice for investing in locally produced shows.
“I would like to appreciate the work MultiChoice is doing by investing in this sector and also believing in Kenyan talent, providing employment opportunities, giving us room to tell stories and also providing us an avenue to be able to show what we can be able to offer and what is in store for us,” said Mr Owase.
He said we should believe in the creative sector and tell our stories to connect with what happens around us. “Whatever we are going to see today (Thursday), and in the several months, we will be glued to Maisha Magic Plus as we watch what John Allan Namu has brought us as far as TV viewing is concerned.”
The synopsis that Kenyans are set to view this season
1. THE AFRICAN HEIRESS:
Tecra Muigai was a shining star in her family, holding both the promise of a tremendous personal future and the aspirations of a million-dollar empire in her hands. But after falling deeply in love with an older man and a controversial relationship, 29-year-old Tecra would die in unclear circumstances while in the company of her fiancée, Omar Lali.
The death publicly divided opinions and left a trail of hurt and unanswered questions to which her family and her boyfriend both claim to have answers. John-Allan Namu spoke to people on both sides of this tragedy and looked into unexplored leads about her death. Was it an accident? Was she killed? What was her state of mind before she died?
2. RIVER OF SKULLS
It isn’t every day that a river in rural Kenya makes the news for something other than bursting its banks. In 2021 and 2022, horrifying evidence of multiple murders was spat out of the depths of Kenya’s River Yala. Over 30 bodies were discovered, many of them mangled through torture.
Who was behind the killing of dozens of men and women and their dumping in the river? This episode looks into Kenya’s river of skulls and finds unsettling answers both about those behind some of the murders and the reasons why some victims met their deaths.
3. THE INFORMANT
One of Kenya’s most infamous triple murders of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri, perpetrated by a rogue police unity, shook the country’s faith in their protectors to the core.
Yet, a key player in their deaths was a man who didn’t know them, didn’t pull the trigger and wasn’t in the police service. This episode of The Last Door goes into a maximum-security prison for a perspective on the killings of the “Mavoko three” through the eyes of the informant who spied on them. Peter “Brown” Ngugi.
4. THE MISSING MILLIONAIRE
Samuel Teklemichael epitomized the African dream. Born into poverty in Northern Ethiopia, he climbed and climbed, leaving the country of his birth behind to make a fortune as an entrepreneur in a foreign country.
Then, one afternoon in November 2021, in broad daylight, Samuel was pulled out of his Bentley, arrested by people claiming to be police officers and has never been seen again. Why was he arrested? What were his crimes? Does the country of his birth have anything to do with his disappearance?
5. KILLING THE MESSENGER
A young, ambitious auditor working for Kenya’s most successful supermarket chain stepped into his BMW one July evening in 2015, heading home to his young family from work.
He didn’t get far. James Karanja met his death at the hands of a hired killer drawn from the police force. Why was he killed? James had stumbled onto a massive secret at work, something so severe that somebody wanted him dead, and succeeded. For the first time, his widow speaks about his death, heralding the final collapse of the beloved supermarket chain, Nakumatt.
About John Allan Namu
John-Allan Namu is a Kenyan investigative journalist with an eye on the globe. Widely regarded as one of Kenya’s best investigative journalists, John-Allan has for almost 20 years investigated and exposed crimes in the highest reaches and lowest rungs of society. From near misses in the terrorist territory to breaking down the secretive world of tax havens, John-Allan’s stories have run through the tapestry of Kenyan and African society.
John-Allan has won multiple global and local awards for his work, but his most dear accomplishment is the founding of Africa Uncensored, a company focused on investigative reporting. His focus is constantly on ensuring that his investigative reports do what all journalism is supposed to do; comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. John-Allan lives in Nairobi with his wife and children.
