By Winnie Kabintie

I have had the privilege of attending several if not all Kalasha Awards but the 2017 edition of the event, which took place on Saturday at the Crown Plaza hotel Nairobi, was indeed worth its salt both in terms of organization and glamour; an observation that all actors who graced the occasion seem to be in accord with.

Kalasha Awards, christened “the Kenyan Oscars”, is presented by the Kenya Film Commission to honour the best in the industry.

Not only did the event kick off on time unlike in previous editions where the event would begin hours later as is the typical Kenyan style, and used to be hosted by clueless “outsider” hosts who knew nothing about the industry, the 2017 Kalasha awards was indeed outstanding.

Actors for once seemed happy with the process of nomination, which they said was more credible compared to previous Kalashas. They were also happy with representation in the event’s organization.

“ It was lit..it was amazing to say the least. Organization top notch. Presentation Top Notch. Flow of events Top Notch. People brought their A-Game on the red carpet. Food and drink in plenty. It was an industry affair for the industry to reward the industry without all that corporate mambo jambo the previous years Kalashas have had..my lord…i think this was without a doubt the best @kalashakenya Awards I’ve had the honour of attending.

To all the awarded winners of the night, congratulations. To the Kalasha Organisers…well done,”actor Gerald Langiri shared on his Facebook timeline.

“I really loved the organisation, today’s Kalasha now befit the title of “Kenyan Oscars”. the event was well organised, the glamour was all out and am happy to be among the winners crowned in this particular Kalasha,” Said actress Catherine Kamau, who was crowned best actress in a TV Drama.

“Thank you so much Kalasha for the nomination! I didn’t win the award but I already felt like I already did just by being nominated! 
I’m so honored to have been in the category with such amazing Kenyan actors! ,” said actress Mumbi Maina, a nominee in the Best Supporting Actress category.

According to KFC CEO Caroline Njoroge,  the visible transformation in the organization of the 2017 Kalasha was occasioned by interest from the industry to deliver a Kalasha brand that works in the current times.

“There is a lot of interest from the industry to deliver a Kalasha brand that works in the current times and the interest has been both local and international as well where embassies and international partners have been pushing for Kenyan content thus the need to ensure we deliver a product that is relevant to both,” said CEO Caroline Njoroge

Ms Njoroge also cited that Lack of government funding has been the biggest obstacle in delivering a world class event as the commission fully depends on the exchequer for its activities.