Meet Pepeta Star Brahim Ouma

At 21, Brahim Ouma is one of the industry’s new young faces, who has featured in the latest Showmax Original, Pepeta.  

The 21-year-old actor has featured in a number of commercials, short films, and minor roles in TV shows like Famous.

In Pepeta, Ouma gets his biggest role yet, playing the lead character Junior, a boy of only 17, whose very complex and hopeless world ushers us into the realities of what it means to grow up in Africa’s largest slum, Kibera.

“As an upcoming actor, I’m really humbled that I got this role, because so many good young actors auditioned for it,” Brahim says, admitting that he was intimidated at first when he met his peers at the audition.

When the casting call for Junior was made, fifty young actors turned up to audition, a process that took 14 days to find the perfect fit, Pepeta casting director, Charles Ouda, said. 

“We knew Brahim had something special when he came in for the callback. He took direction well, and was constantly working on the life and journey of his character. He was willing to do the work and even grow his character’s relationships with everyone he was meant to interact with on screen.”

Pepeta is full of vibrant young actors between the ages of 12-25, who like Brahim are getting their first shot in a major production. For some like Eric Aswani, a 23-year-old footballer with dreams of turning pro, Pepeta is their first-ever acting role.

For them, this is their chance to prove themselves in an industry that has sometimes been accused of recycling the same ‘old’ faces.

“I think it's about time. The younger generation has a lot to bring to the table; creativity, energy, and zeal. And on behalf of young upcoming actors, I couldn't be happier to be part of this journey. We have a lot to learn, but so far so good," Ouma says. 

He adds, “More young people ought to be given opportunities, not just actors. We also have amazing young directors and scriptwriters.”

In Pepeta, Junior, like Brahim, is a dreamer. He's book-smart and he’s a talented footballer, with so much to offer the world. “He hopes to attain his dream of one day becoming a footballer,” Brahim says.