The Anointed Cartel: Satire Challenging Power on the Pulpit

Renowned for their signature blend of drama, humour and provocative storytelling, Igiza Arts will present The Anointed Cartel on May 31^st and June 1^st at the Kenya National Theatre.

The Anointed Cartel is set in a fictional mega-church with immense influence and dark secrets. The play is a tale about a series of events that spiral out of control when internal power struggles and hidden agendas begin to unravel. As shocking cover-ups and crises of faith are brought to light, the audience is pulled into a rollercoaster of emotions from laughter to discomfort and deep reflection. The play is an invitation of the audience to challenge the abuse of power and spiritual manipulation as well as examine how sacred spaces have become complicit in the exploitation and betrayal of the people that blindly trust them. In an era where faith is compromised by greed and where pulpits are used to manipulate instead of heal, The Anointed Cartel is a timely opportunity to look into the hidden agendas of the so called men of God.

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Written by playwright and director, Martin Abuya and produced by Wreiner Arnold Mandu, the play is a daring satire that boldly confronts the corruption and abuse of power lurking behind the closed doors of influential religious institutions in Kenya.

The duo behind Igiza Arts has been collaborating since 2017 and is no stranger to politically and socially charged theatre having previously produced sobering plays like Flight 1963, which won the Best Original Play in Kenya at the 2024 Kenya Theatre Awards, Severed Justice, which addressed the anti-government protests of 2024 and The Waiting Room which offered a stark critique of Kenya’s public healthcare crisis. Telling daring and critical stories about Kenyan society in the age of censorship and brutality towards people requires immense courage but for Mandu and Abuya, it is a responsibility that they take on gladly. “What inspires me is the urgency of truth. Kenya is a country brimming with stories. Stories of resilience, betrayal, beauty, and injustice. I keep telling daring, critical stories because silence has never saved us. In an age where censorship and brutality try to muzzle dissent, art becomes one of the last frontiers of truth-telling.” Says Abuya

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Theatre allows us to mirror society without preaching, to ask difficult questions without needing easy answers. I’m inspired by ordinary Kenyans, activists, mothers, students, and workers who keep resisting, even in small ways. If they can keep fighting for justice in their lives, then I can keep fighting for it on stage.’ He adds

The Anointed Cartel boasts of a talented cast many of whom have worked with Igiza Arts in past productions. Among the actors are Sammy Waweru Kimani playing the role of Hon. Charles Kalalu, the overzealous politician in cahoots with the Church. Jeff Obonyo will be playing the role of Deacon Felix, while Edna Kariuki takes on the role of an Activist named Ruth.

Abuya, the playwright and theatre lover who favours satire in his intense works revers the power of theatre especially its ability to express and address urgent issues that threaten the livelihoods of Kenyan people.

‘Stage offers a raw, unfiltered connection with the audience that no other medium can. Theatre makes the truth immediate, you can’t pause or scroll past it. With The Anointed Cartel, we want people to feel the weight of corruption and betrayal in real time, to sit with it collectively. It’s that shared, live experience that makes theatre the most powerful platform for this story’ He says.

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With a talented cast and dynamic creative team, the play promises an exceptional experience that humorously and chillingly exposes the underbelly of religious institutions in Kenya. Whether you are a theatre lover, a critic of institutional authority, or if you are curious about the complex intersections of faith and society, The Anointed Cartel is a must-watch.

The Anointed Cartel will be showing on Saturday, May 31^st and Sunday, June 1^st at 3pm and 6pm at the Kenya National Theatre Main Auditorium.

This article was originally published on May 15th and has been republished with minimal changes.