Dedan Juma alias 'Detective' is arguably one of the best 'bad boy' actors in the Kenyan movie industry. He has featured in a number of top films such as Real House helps of Kawangware and Pepeta on Showmax.
On screen, he epitomizes the no-nonsense kind of attitude that has made him the go to person for hardcore police and criminal roles.
Watching him gives you the impression that acting has been his thing, however, that's not the case as he had a different life before venturing into the film industry.
Dedan Juma Early Life
In a past interview, Juma opened up on his early life, noting that he was raised in City Carton - an informal settlement near Buru Buru phase one in Nairobi.
He notes that back then, life was not easy as he was raised by a single mum who relied on income from a vegetable kiosk to cater for their needs.
While in primary, he decided to explore ways of generating more income for the family in order to help his mum offset some of the bills.
It is at this point that he started hanging out with a local gang that slowly recruited him into crime.
"I would be given small jobs by the gang leaders like delivering things and getting paid," he revealed.
While his aim was to help his mum cater for the family, the latter did not approve of his association with the local gang and rejected the money that he offered her.
Despite his mum disapproving of his association with the gang, he did not dissociate with them but instead grew to become one of its core pillars where he'd be among the team that snatched phones in Nairobi CBD.
File image of Dedan Juma. [Photo: Courtesy]
Turning Point
After snatching phones for quite sometime, Juma decided to abandon that life after a member of their gang was murdered by a mob.
He narrated that during one of their robbery escapes, a member of their gang was caught and lynched as they watched closely.
"Martin was lynched to death in front of us just because he did not give up our identity as the crowd wanted," Juma said.
He said the traumatic incident made him change his ways and embrace honest ways of earning a living. He also worked on his spirituality and started attending church alongside his mother.
Getting into Acting
Going to church opened a massive window for him as he was able to join a talent group that helped him nurture his acting skills.
It is through the talent group that he was able to learn about auditions for a role in Real Househelps of Kawangware. He later landed the role of detective, which was the complete opposite of his previous crime life.
This worked well for him until 2018 when the show took a break, leaving him in a financial crisis. Juma narrated that having been on TV, landing menial jobs became difficult as potential employers dismissed him on the ground that he is a celebrity.
Determined to make ends meet, he decided to hawk sweets at public service vehicles, where he says he was mostly ridiculed.
Landing Pepeta Role
After years of suffering, he received a life changing call when he was informed of a role in a new drama series. The call came at a time when his mum had also fallen ill and was admitted at a local medical facility.
File image of Dedan Juma. [Photo: Courtesy]
He nailed the audition and landed the role of Zeze, a hard core criminal on Pepeta - a drama series on Showmax. Unfortunately, his mum succumbed on the same day that he landed the acting job.
He advises young people to be patient and seek honest ways of earning a living as crime does not pay.
