By Mark Allan Karanja
Sexy, curvaceous, stunning – just a few adjectives that can be used to describe Janet Mbugua. But she is more than just a pretty face and a breath taking figure. She has graced our screens for the better part of the past decade as an anchor in some of the leading Kenyan television channels like KTN and most recently on CITIZEN TV, and has even gone on to be an international anchor on E NEWS South Africa. Her unique voice and magnetic personality have ensured her claim to the throne as one of the best Media queens Kenya has produced, ranking with the likes of Catherine Kasavuli.
But she is quickly being known for more than just her news presentation skills. Enter Janet Mbugua – thespian. It sounds a little odd but it is the reality. Janet now graces our screen as the Character “Pendo” in the new thrilling drama series “RUSH” by C THROUGH productions.
Pendo, an ambitious, opportunistic, neurotic control freak, is a beauty in crisis as she tries to start and manage a hot magazine and keep her personal life in control. Her story resonates with many young career women making great strides in their professional life but end up losing greatly in their personal lives. She is by no means a stereotype or a template for all matters wrong with the modern woman, neither is she a cautionary tale. She is a real relatable character that many might recognize in their own selves or someone in their lives.
Janet does so with her character. “We are alike – Pendo and I – in many respects, mostly in the fact that we are both go getters, even though she is much more aggressive than I am”, Janet comments on her character. This helps her better bring the character to life. Janet reveals that acting comes easier, as opposed to being a news anchor, and with good reason. “While you have room to make a few mistakes as an actress, being a news anchor is a whole different ball game. You are required to deal with real, emotional issues, all the while being broadcast live. There is no room for error”, Janet explains.
Janet is one lady with lots of layers, involving herself in “INUA DADA”, an initiative that is her brain child, aimed at empowering the girl child and the community around her. She is passionate about her cause, having gotten even the first lady, Mrs. Margret Kenyatta to lend a helping hand. And at the same time, managing her hectic shooting schedule as a prime time news presenter and host of a show.
It shall definitely be interesting to see Janet in a new light, as an actress in a show that – as she explains – gives a fresh look at the modern African woman trying to make it in an aggressive world. It is a show that as the broad spectra of women represented in the strong female characters, and it does so with high fashion, glitz and glam as some of the seasonings to make it that much more captivating to watch.
Catch Janet Mbugua on “RUSH” season 2 coming soon to MNET.