Owago Onyiro: No one is carrying my baby

Owago Onyiro is leaving the country in February for a month-long tour of twelve states, his first ever. 

“I am excited about the tour,” says 25-year-old comedian, popular for his funny stunts at the popular Churchill TV comedy show.

From constantly making fun of ladies to chiding Luos on how their obsession with ‘Luoism’ will kill them, Owago has cultivated a persona of dangerous, lewd talking and inwardly examines how Kenyans live. On his often controversial joke topics, he says,

“The Kenyan audience has long been confined to jokes about family matters, going controversial is not that bad. It opens the scope of comedy and it is actually getting more attention.”

Owago has had a number of scenes omitted from the televised version of Churchill Live. The censored parts, some of which are available on the Internet via You Tube are done on the same set as the televised scenes.

“The best comedy even internationally is always the censored version. Chris Rock, Eddie Griffin… these guys are good because they focus on topics most people choose to avoid. Let me be the bad boy who everyone resonates with.”

Controversy has always stalked the former student of Kolwal Primary School, Uriri and Kanyawanga Boys High School in Rongo.

Photos of Owago groping ladies in public are all over the Internet, with the comedian, who is rumoured to be dating a lady five months pregnant, brushing off the allegations. “I am currently dating, but I have no knowledge of anyone carrying my kid at the moment. About the photos, they were taken even before I joined Churchill this season,” says Owago, who doubles up as an emcee to claim his take in the market.

When he started out, he was also accused of copying Jalang’o’s style, something he candidly refuses.

“Most Luo comedians sound the same and I was facing a backlash when I started out. But at the moment, I have stood out and I am happy to have Jalang’o, who is my friend, as someone I can look up to,” says Owago, who started out on Fred Omondi’s Crazy Comedy on KTN.

Recently, he made fun of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his son, joking that once on set, everyone is equal.  “I even made him (Raila) laugh his tears out. That is my job.” Owago also sides with his boss Churchill, whom he sees as a good mentor of comedians in the country.

“These comedians who complain about payment and unfair treatment should realise the show is just a platform. We are being taught how to fish and it’s up to every one of us to convince the directors of our potential, originality and longevity,” explains the comedian, who is contracted to the show and says he is paid ‘well’.  “I can pay rent and have fun on what I earn,” he adds.

That said, Owago explains that he has ambitions to have his own show in the future, but that it is a process that relies heavily on time and goodwill from his bosses.

“It is a mistake to rush in this business,” said Owago, who at one point, lectured mathematics at St Paul University after completing studies in Electrical Engineering in Railway Training Institute and Technical University of Kenya (formerly Kenya Polytechnic College.) Currently, he is undergoing radio training at Easy FM awaiting March 1, when he starts to co-host The Drive show with Brian Oduor.

“Kenyans need to differentiate between Owago Onyiro and Byron Otieno. You can’t meet me in the street and ask me to make you laugh. Byron works for Owago Onyiro and when Owago gets paid, Byron gets his daily meal.”

That’s the more diplomatic Byron for you.