Award-winning filmmaker Daudi Anguka makes Showmax debut with gritty Mombasa-set thriller Mizani
Award-winning filmmaker Daudi Anguka is set to make his debut on Showmax with the new drama thriller Mizani, premiering on February 5, 2026. The series is shot and set in Mombasa, diving deep into the city’s criminal underbelly.
Anguka, one of the most prominent filmmakers from Kenya’s coastal region, is known for Swahili telenovelas such as Pete, Sanura, and Mkasi, as well as Mvera, Kenya’s official submission to the 2024 Academy Awards. He helms Mizani under his banner, AR Film Productions.
Mizani follows journalist Suleiman, played by Michael Saruni (The Chocolate Empire), whose daughter is kidnapped by an organ trafficking syndicate operating along the coast. Pushed to his limits, Suleiman goes head to head with a powerful, politically protected network. As he searches for the truth, he uncovers a dangerous mix of corruption, power struggles, and long buried family secrets.
The show features a strong ensemble cast including Stephanie Maseki (Mkasi), Kalasha nominee Kieth Chuaga (Jiji), Kalasha winners Jack Mutinda (Real Househelps of Kawangware) and Denis Humphrey (Sultana), Anita Wawuda (Jiji), Reinhard Inzai Bonke (Kam U Stay), Bhavnesh Chudasama (Subterranea), Mehul Malde (Crime & Justice), Kathleen Mckenzie (Maria), Ashik Ali (Zari), Mariam Mzee (Sultana), Patrick Owino (Zari), Victor Opondo (Mvera), and Nima Kubo (Karata). Child actors Lyndsey Wanjiku and Ethan Mdeinzi make their television debut.
Directing duties are shared by J.A. Chumbe (4 Play), Eric Mdagaya (Mkasi), Bill Jones Afwani (18 Hours), and Isaya Evans (Reckless). The writers’ room includes Ambat Rioba Mann (Jiji), Brian Munene (Subterranea), Kevin Amakobe, and Bill Jones Afwani.
Speaking about the series, Anguka said the intention was to tell stories that reflect life at the Coast. “Mizani represents the scales of life, where the choices people make can either save them or destroy them.”
The show expands on the organ trafficking theme first explored in Mvera, this time raising the stakes against the backdrop of Mombasa. Anguka notes that organ trafficking is a growing issue across Africa and wanted to push himself creatively by telling a darker, more urgent story that both entertains and educates.
Mizani is a tense and emotional story about power, corruption, sacrifice, and redemption, where the truth comes at a high cost and even family can become the greatest enemy.
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