By Olyvia Kahuthu
Meet Josphat Maina, an accountant at the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination (Office of the President), and a part time DJ on Channel O. Popularly referred to by his twitter handle, @iCabway, Josephat is without a doubt Sumu La Penzi’s biggest fan. Every Monday and Tuesday night, he starts tweeting in rapid succession sometimes up to an hour before the show begins. He hypes it up all the way to 8pm, when the show begins, and twitter updates of the televised episode’s progress.
Josphat’s zeal for the show was evident as he was given a tour of the Sumu La Penzi set. He easily recognized each location. He also got to watch a session of the shoots and got to mingle with the stars.
The Sumu La Penzi team was able to dig into @iCabway, and this is what we found out:
How did you get to hear about Sumu?
@icabway: Just before the show was launched, a friend of mine told me about it. I was interested in what the show would be about, so I researched online and found lots of information on social media. I saw a photo show of the main characters beforehand and I just had to watch the show.
When did you start tweeting live about the show?
I started from day 1 because I watched Sumu from the very first episode.
What shocked you most about Sumu La Penzi when you first started watching it?
Avril speaking Swahili was the biggest shocker. She has great English, so I didn’t expect her to have such good Swa. It’s actually Coasterian Swahili.
What makes you love the show?
I love it because it’s like my own version of Sex and the City. It’s a very interesting show.
What has been your most memorable moment on Sumu so far?
That has got to be when Martin’s wife visited Eva’s boutique. The fact that she was pretending that she was interested in buying clothes yet she just wanted to intimidate Eva was exciting.
Who suits Mariam most; Mr. Rent, Hans or Tash?
Definitely Tash. He and Mariam have so much chemistry that feels so real.
What would you change about the show?
Nothing really, but Solomon just needs to be realistic. His solution for everything is prayer. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t turn to God in everything, but sometimes we need to see things for what they are and deal with them. He’s a perfect match for Tindi though.
Who can’t you stand on the show?
I can’t stand Oscar. He’s bossy and an attention seeker. (Pauses briefly) Actually, scratch that. I hate Olive’s character; she’s such a daddy’s girl and likes to brag.
Lastly, who is your favourite character?
I love Mariam’s character. She’s so driven and doesn’t take nonsense, especially not from Oscar.
Catch Sumu La Penzi every Monday and Tuesday night at 8pm (EAT) on AfricaMagic Swahili; DStv channel 158 and GOtv channel 103.