Films are more than just entertainment gimmicks. They are tools with which a filmmaker examines societal issues. They are a powerful medium of communication that can inspire action and incite change. In 1992, filmmaker Anne Mungai harnessed the power of this tool to bring attention to women’s rights in her feature film, Saikati.
The story is set within Maasai land, and the character in focus is a young girl called Saikati (Lynette Mukami Kinoti). She wants nothing more than to get an education, but her father has other plans for her. The area has a chief, and the chief has a son who has expressed interest in Saikati. Moreover, the proposal has been agreed to. Saikati has no say in the matter and neither does her mother, a progressive thinker who understands the value of educating her daughter. In the midst of wedding preparations, Mama Saikati secretly recruits her niece Monica (Susan Wanjiku) to take Saikati to the city – Nairobi – where Saikati should be able to find a suitable job.
But Nairobi is more than Saikati imagines. From culture shock to an unwanted job – the only job she is qualified for – Saikati realizes that perhaps the grass isn’t greener on the other side. She must decide whether to return home and face her father or stay in Nairobi and adapt to this new life.
One story seemed to be inadequate to both the filmmakers and the enthusiasts because in 1999, the film’s sequel, Saikati the Enkabaani, was released. The second feature presented a different cast, and this time Esther Muthee played Saikati.
It begins with Saikati as a flying nurse with the Africa Medical Research Foundation, having completed her education. Back home, because of her profession, her people call her the Enkabaani, a Maasai term for Healer. However, despite this career accomplishment, Saikati hasn’t undergone certain traditional rites of passage and she is somewhat of an outcast. The sequel focuses on her struggle to find a balance between tradition and contemporary life.
The success of the first film paved way for its sequel to shine even brighter. In 2000, Saikati the Enkabaani was screened during the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film then moved to Portland, Oregon, for another screening during the 10th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films. That year, the Oregon event was dedicated to African women filmmakers, and the spotlight was on Anne Mungai.
An inspiring tale of a woman’s journey in a patriarchal society, this #KeFilm reminds us of the real-life stories we have heard about and read about. Its themes discuss gender equality and how far we need to go to balance the disparity that has existed for generations.
