Whether traditional content providers like it or not, live broadcasts and recorded video content is becoming cheaper to access. All that’s needed to access such content is an internet connection and a mobile phone that doesn’t freeze when you try to play a video on it.
This has opened up a world of new entertainment to Kenyans of all backgrounds, meaning anyone can now tune in to a South Korean horror movie, an American Sitcom or a French art-house show.
This article pinpoints the online sites and channels where Kenyans can get their free fix of daily video entertainment.
YouTube Channels
When it comes to YouTube channels in Kenya there are only two games in town: lifestyle and music. The country is producing reams of online celebs all posting regular content for their thousands of followers to enjoy. Such has been their fame that many have broken out beyond Kenya to make it big in other African nations and even further overseas.
Some of the sassy female tubers making their way include Wabosha Maxine who focuses on keeping her subscribers happy with beauty tips, cook-alongs, and travel vlogs. Where music is involved, one of the kings of the Tube in Kenya is Willy Paul Msafi, who recently broke out on the international stage with his song Mmmh which at the time of writing has over 16 million views.
Meanwhile, for something totally different there’s Hero Smashers, the brainchild of Andrew Kaggia, a channel that pits a variety of superheroes against each other in intense battles, all set to suspenseful music. At first, it seems like a ludicrous concept, but then you realize the channel’s most popular video has garnered over 200 million viewers and that Kaggia might just be onto something.
Free Apps
Although YouTube is the undisputed boss of video content online, there are other apps out there that often provide the sort of niche content that Kenyans are really after. In the world of gaming, there are some apps that exclusively cover the biggest live events around the globe as well as those like Vimeo that cater to fans of high-quality short movies.
Meanwhile, if you love YouTube but hate the constant ad interruptions, and worry about Google using your data, there’s always DTube, a very similar video content platform that operates using blockchain technology. By using it, you don’t need to worry about privacy nor about having to wait fifteen seconds for a toothpaste advert to disappear before you can lay eyes on your chosen video.
Live Streaming Sites
While there seems to be no let-up in the popularity of such pre-recorded video sites, many observers are now touting live streaming sites as the future of this field and Kenyans have been quick to latch on, watching their favorite eSports players via Twitch and Mixer. Even YouTube have thrown their hat into the ring with YouTube Gaming but is yet to outcompete the other platforms.
The thing people love about this variety of content is that it comes to the viewer raw, with no editing tricks or filters being used to disguise the less flattering aspects of an online personality. This means that many streamers have earned the trust of huge followings, many of which count into the hundreds of thousands.
Although there aren’t too many Kenyans streaming themselves on Twitch just yet, there is the excellent HirsiHD on YouTube Gaming who plays for Africa’s most revered eSports team, The Watchmen. For the ladies, there’s also Sylvia “Queen Arrow” Gathoni who ranks among the world’s elite when it comes to Tekken. Last but not least there’s Peter Mumu or “Flossin Mauwano” as he’s known online, who is the undoubted rising star of Kenyan eSports.
