Online sensation Maureen Kibui dishes on her journey from stand-up comedy to viral TikTok fame as the tough-love African mother.
Maureen Mugure Kibui, also known as Morin Actress, is an online content creator who plays the popular African mother, Mama Morin.
Her Tiktoks have garnered her many loyal fans who identify with her characters.
She spoke to our reporter about this life.
How did you venture into online content creation?
I started off by attending different auditions while at Zetech University. I always wanted to be an actress but because I was forced into comedy by my peers while in Gathugururu High School in Nyeri and won lots of medals at Nationals level, I thought it was wise for me to give professional comedy a shot. However, this time I wanted to use comedy as a stepping stone into the acting industry since I didn't trust comedy to be a stable career. One day, I went to Chipukeezy Show auditions and I got a slot for stand up comedy until COVID 19 cut it short. I had to go back home in Nyeri and started creating content from home and that's how my online career was birthed.
Maureen Mugure Kibui also known as Morin Actress
How can you describe your style of comedy?
It is sketch comedy where you identify a specific niche. In my case, it's an African home setting, and my persona is a tough African mother who will stop at nothing to ensure she runs things by the book.
Why this style of comedy?
I wanted to imitate my own mother because, while in High School, my friends couldn't believe my stories of the kind of mother I had, considering she was way older than their mothers. They found it funny and almost couldn't relate because they were best friends with their own mothers. It's easy to imitate my mother because I've grown up in that setting. I feel lots of millennials relate and try to be better parents each time they see me portray the Mama Morin character.
How hard or easy is it to be two people in one video?
At first, it was so hard because it required lots of editing but circumstances pushed me into learning more about my type of art especially during COVID, everyone was home and I had no other hustle to run to. Since I had narrated my mother's character often while doing stand-up comedy, it was time to put it into real action. I had watched how Ojo and Flaqo do it so I just needed to sharpen my editing skills. Acting is not even the issue here, being two people at a go is where the rubber meets the road. (Laughs). I now have a videographer who's made things easier since all I have to worry about now is the content.
Do you remember your first-ever skit to trend?
I remember that vividly. It was a video about marijuana and how African parents can go wild when they realise you've ever used it and the myths that surround the drug. In the skit, my mum is looking for a matchbox and I fish it out of my pocket which insinuates I've been smoking. The drama that follows is what made the skit go viral (millions of views).
Have you ever faced backlash online?
I chose a niche that almost everyone relates with and will stop to laugh. How some people still think it's two different actors on my videos is just interesting. It makes me feel that I hack it so well. I have never received backlash or negative comments which I'm sincerely grateful for.
Do people recognise you as Mama Morin as you walk in the streets?
Yes, by now a good number of people know that I am the one acting as Mama Morin. When I'm shooting adverts in the Mama Morin costume, people want to say hello because they relate with the character. I can't act the character Mama Morin in town because fans won't just allow the shoot to go on for the love they have for "her".
What does your mother think of your style of comedy?
Surprisingly, she is my number one fan. She was there when I started the online journey and saw me through it all. I disappointed her because I got pregnant at the peak of my stand-up comedy career but she helped me through it and believed in me when I decided to bounce back as an online content creator. She even bought me a good phone to start me off.
My family loves my content because they feel I portray her exactly as she is while highlighting the areas she should work on.
How has comedy changed your life?
When my mother bought me a phone, I promised her I would use it to bounce back because I was talented. I did shoots consistently every week and uploaded the content. After the first week, I got my first job and I moved back to Nairobi to live with my sister.
It wasn't long before YouTube started paying me and I started getting gigs again which enabled me to rent a space of my own. I also went big on TikTok, got corporate deals and started using my brand to sell land and other products. My life just changed drastically all thanks to comedy. I did Hospitality and Tourism Management on campus as a backup plan but comedy has become my main venture.
Do you do anything else besides comedy?
I have invested in the fashion industry. I run a clothing business located at Spur Mall as well as a gaming business dubbed M Zone Game Hub. I decided to invest because I have seen big brands die down and lose traction then they are left penniless. Being a mother has also shown me the need to be stable just in case my brand doesn’t pay as much tomorrow as it does today.
What is your long-term plan?
I'm so passionate about acting. I'm a scriptwriter, a producer and a director. I want to build a theatre that will house a film academy and nurture talents.
