For over 30 years now, actress Lucy Wangui, better known as the the 'no nonsense' magistrate has graced our screens week in week out in Vioja Mahakamani. What the public knows is that she is a tough, fearless magistrate whose got no time for the law breakers. But who really is Lucy Wangui.
Lucy Wangui was born in Ziwani, Kariokor Nairobi. As she grew up she had always dreamed of being a nurse or a secretary, as was the notion that those were the only "Top paying and respectable jobs." Wangui went on to pursue a secretarial course after which she landed a job at Elliot bakeries.
Years into her job, she was approached by one mzee pembe who managed to convince her to try out arts career. Mrs Wangui starred in her auditions which also caught the legendary actress by surprise." I couldn't believe that I actually had the talent!" Wangui said. "Blame the much excitement but believe you me I had to quit my well paying job to venture into arts on a full time basis"
But as a young lady, how much was she earning as an actress?. "I used to earn between 20 to 40 shillings per show, yeah in early 70's you understand that's a whole lot of cash in a teen's life." Lucy said. But what's the biggest pay package did she manage to fork out by then? "You can't believe that the moment i can really highlight as the day i hit the jackpot, I earned Sh 400!" Lucy laughs as she reminisces of the number of flashy shops she had to hit, shoes she had to acquire and still couldn't do anything to the 'lump sum' amount at her disposal.
Apart from performing in major high profiled shows and events graced by the heads of state; which includes meeting Former presidents, Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki, she insists that some of her most memorable moments includes meeting Captain America's actor, Robert Redford, 'Charlie's Angels' actress, Tanya Roberts, English actress Hayley Mills among others.
Speaking about the secret behind her glittering career, Lucy highlighted Creativity and humility as the key elements which helped her rule the arts industry, also pointing out that the young and uprising stars lack the two and could be the reason Kenya is not at par with other established nations, when it comes to arts.
"Through the late mzee pombe and mzee tamaa's mentor ship, one of the golden things I learnt are patience,humility and creativity. " she said. "The moment we make it in every aspect of life and decide to become big headed then it all goes to the drain." she added. "It's so different to our generation, and when we started out, the young ones want to do it their way and that becomes the beginning of their career end."
"When you look at Churchill, despite his success, he has managed to instil all this in his show, by giving the young and raw talents a chance to show case their gifts." "What the youth look for is the money but lack the patience. once they get that, then the next thing is they eventually disappear from the scenes. There is no shortcut for success, especially when it comes to art. Discipline, commitment and humility has kept Vioja Mahakamani at the summit for all those years."
As a law abiding judge, what is the most shocking thing you'd expect from her? "I have been arrested once!" she said. "shocking right? It happened more than ten years ago while we were out having fun with my friends staging 'masandukuni' a popular lifestyle habit when we had to sit on a crate full of drinks and drink the night away. Suddenly a police officer arrested us on the basis of ''drinking past hours." Lucy says her knowledge about law won her freedom after successfully defending her rights.
Mrs Lucy Wangui has also starred in programmes like: Darubini, Mzima Duni, Zuberi Kivunja Mbavu and Vitimbi.