First Original Kenyan Series for Showmax

Showmax is co-producing with Canal+ its first original Kenyan series, Crime & Justice, a gritty police procedural and legal show set in Nairobi.

Crime & Justice stars Sarah Hassan (Plan B, How to Find a Husband) and Alfred Munyua (Poacher, The First Grader, Sense8) as Makena and Silas, the two detectives at the heart of the show that follows one ripped-from-the-headlines case per episode, all the way through to the courtroom verdict. All eight episodes of Crime & Justice will be available on Showmax and Canal+ in 2021.

For Showmax, Crime & Justice marks its first original Kenyan series and second co-production with Canal+.

Munyua said: “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,”

Hassan added: “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.”

Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO for general entertainment and connected video, said: “We are fundamentally an African business and are invested in telling African stories that reflect the lives, languages and cultures of the continent. We believe in African talent and look forward to shining the international spotlight on not only Kenyan stars, but the Kenyan technical industry’s capabilities.

“We believe that streaming video is a powerful way to deliver these shared stories. This is one of many more Showmax Originals we have in the pipeline across Africa.”