'I cleared rent arrears, debts’: Content creator Nyokabi opens up on life after meeting Martha Karua

Joe Ben Nyokabi, the content creator behind the now viral Martha Karua mimicking video, has opened up on life after the meeting the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party presidential running mate.

Nyokabi, who tickled Kenyans with the video that has since surpassed one million views on TikTok, says his life has not been the same since he brushed shoulders with the ‘iron lady’, as Karua is popularly known.

Hailing from a humble background on the outskirts of Kirinyaga County, the 25-year-old revealed that last week’s encounter with the Narc Kenya party boss came through for him financially and has presented a new dawn to his content creation career.

The TikTok sensation said he graduated from acting school in 2018 and has been struggling to make ends meet, to the extent of accruing rent for more than two years.

“I have a job offer from one of the people I met through Boniface Mwangi that Friday and we are working on something and a lot of opportunities have opened up and coming through for me,” he said in an exclusive interview with Citizen Digital.

“Financially my life has changed…I received some money and was able to clear the rent…It is good money…I also cleared my mum's rent and cleared some debts.”

Nyokabi also revealed that he was a tad nervous before the meet up as he was unable to predict the outcome, or tell how Karua would react to the video.

“I was 100% nervous. She came a bit late…she did a few interviews then we met. We didn’t think she had seen the video but kina Boniface were like tutamwonyesha,” he stated.

Upon Karua’s arrival, Nyokabi said she noticed him and – albeit lightly – told him; “Wewe nimekuona. Wacha nimalize hapa nikuje tupigane.”

Despite refuting that he is a professional comedian, Nyokabi admits that he has newfound interest in the field.

“I am a humorous person, I make jokes which I don’t find funny, but my friends find funny. I could do a lot of things since when I was young…I am a creative person,” he said.

On why he settled on a video on Karua as opposed to any other politician, he notes that his interest was based on the idea that she has a unique label in almost all of her campaigns.

“Martha Karua is from my county. When she was announced, I got curious about what she would tell my people. Every time she is on a campaign trail, she always says, ‘Harrooo…Raira ni msaredo,” he stated.