The Kenyan original series is a product of a collaboration between Showmax and French television channel Canal+.
The show that is set in Nairobi features Sarah Hassan (Plan B, How to Find a Husband) and Alfred Munyua (Poacher, The First Grader, Sense8) starring as Makena and Silas who are Nairobi’s Metropol Police detectives.
In the eight-part series, the two detectives follow and investigate one ripped-from-the-headlines case per episode, all the way through to the courtroom verdict.
In the first episode, Silas and Makena investigate the gruesome murder of Abuya (Muhugu Theuri, Pillow Talk), a university student who was entangled in an illicit affair with the powerful politician Barasa (John Sibi-Okumu, The Constant Gardener, The First Grader).
“How she (Makena) feels about this case is exactly how I felt when I was reading everything about this story online and watching it in the news,” says Sarah about this first episode.
Munyua said he loved the delivery and realness of Silas as a character.
“When I first read the script, I loved the delivery and realness of Silas as a character. It’s not exaggerated, and he’s no Rambo hero; he just tackles his cases the normal way. I found a very real edge with this script, and I hope I’ll do justice to the role,” Munyua said.
Hassan said she is looking forward to playing a detective for the first time in her career.
“This is a very different character; I’ve never played anything like Makena before. It’s very exciting to get a character that makes me grow as an actor.”
Hassan and Munyua are also joined by Maqbul Mohammed (Varshita, Auntie Boss) as DCI Boss Kebo, Paul Ogola (Sense8, Kati Kati) as Prosecutor Sokoro and Brian Ogola (Lusala, Disconnect) as Caleb, the resident pathologist.
Others in the series are Brian Abajah (Sincerely Daisy), Martin Githinji (Sue na Jonnie, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind) and Justin Mirichii (Rafiki, Watu Wote) in guest roles.
Directed by Adam Neutzsky-Wulff working with an all-Kenyan production crew, Crime and Justice is written by Pauline Inda, Anthony Nero and award-winning Kenyan filmmakers Brian Munene (Watu Wote: All of Us, Morning After), Njue Kevin (18 Hours, Intellectual Scum) and Serah Mwihaki (Nairobi Half Life, Kidnapped).
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