John Sibi-Okumu

One of the most pivotal moments in John Sibi-Okumu’s younger years took place when he was seven. The year was 1961 and John and his mother left Bunyala in western Kenya, and boarded a plane headed to London. The purpose of the trip was to join John’s father in northern London. For the young non-English speaker, this move would immerse John into a new language and culture. 

New city, new experiences 

The Sibi-Okumu’s settled in Stoke Newington, and John quickly picked up English. It soon became his language of thought and communication – and with time it became one that he had fully mastered. However, in this foreign land, John also became conscious of the differential treatment because he was visibly different. He detected this while at William Pattern Junior Mixed School where he was enrolled, the only mixed-race school in the region. 

Despite the challenges he faced, his thirst for education was formidable. While he got through the general programmes that makes up one’s basic education, he gravitated strongly towards the arts, and this is where he thrived. Looking back to those years now, John sees that his entry into theatre came thanks to the arts education offered at William Patton. 

Finding his calling 

Three years after their arrival, the Sibi-Okumu family was on their way back to Kenya. No stranger to relocation, John settled in Nairobi and enrolled at Muthaiga Primary School. But once again, he found himself in an institution where his race remained a factor that visibly set him apart from most of the other students. But this difference encouraged him to build his self-confidence and flourish where his passion lay.  

John’s fluency in written and oral English was hard to miss, so much so that his headmistress, Miss Parker, saw a potential future in the arts and communication industries. She wasn’t the only one. When a visitor from the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation visited Muthaiga Primary and heard John recite, he was offered a job at the Kenya Schools Broadcasting Division.  At the tender age of 11 John was behind a mic, broadcasting to the nation. 

As his time in Muthaiga neared its end, Miss Parker encouraged John to join the Duke of York School (current Lenana School) where she was certain his communication skills would further excel. In 1967 he was among the form 1 students at the prestigious school. 

Boarding school was different. It gave John an opportunity to experience life away from home, and form life-long friendships. He was once again in a mixed-race school and with his orator skills continuously improving, his confidence in his ability to stand out increased. It also helped him stand up for himself when necessary – something he continues to advocate for to this day. 

The educator, the actor

Talent and passion guided his steps even as he transitioned to the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in French Language and Literature, specialising in French from his second year. Pursuing a second language gave him an added advantage as he approached the professional world. He worked as a teacher full time, but set aside time to take part in theatrical productions which helped him hone his acting. His love for the arts culminated in a Kenya National Theatre debut in 1973 when John got cast as Romeo in a biracial production of Romeo and Juliet. Soon after he played The Engineer in The Queen and The Rebels. 

Back at the University, his diligence granted him a scholarship to the University of Toulouse in France. 

Fluent in the world’s second most common language, John came back to Kenya to teach French at primary and high schools. He alternated his Mwalimu hat with his actor hat depending on the time of the day and day of the week. In 1974 he made his debut on the screen when he played Karuri in the American film Born Free. While being an educator was his primary occupation, acting was still a core part of him. In the late 1980s he codirected The Bridge Between. In 1979 and 1983 the Munich Film Festival and Kenya Union of Journalists’ Award awarded him for his narration in The Tender Ones, and 20 Great Years of Kenyan Independence respectively. 

Into the broadcast world 

As doors opened for John, he grasped each opportunity that came his way. This saw him venture into news anchoring where he conducted interviews with various African heads of states such as Daniel arap Moi, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Paul Kagame. These and other broadcast opportunities cemented him as one of the eloquent men on Kenyan news and in time he gathered the simple moniker – JSO. 

With acting, directing and journalism neatly tucked under belt, JSO’s creative endeavours led him into a new direction – weaving words. When he added author to his stable of achievements it cemented his position as not just ‘mwalimu’ but also ‘a man of the arts’. He would later put aside his career as an educator after 30 years and fully transition into communication. To date JSO has authored nine plays and he has been a regular columnist for various magazines – both local and international. 

Honoured for his work 

In January 2022 JSO’s passion for and promotion of the creative sector with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Carthage Theatre Festival honoured in Tunisia. And in February 2022, he received the World Impact Award at the Kenya Theatre Awards. 

John Sibi-Okumu remains proud of all his accomplishments throughout his life. His journey is proof that excellence and the pursuit of ones’ innate talents have a real place in the world – and you simply have to keep at it until it’s rooted.