This archive report was first published on 13 November 2019.
Published on November 13, 2019, Eric Omondi's journey to becoming the 'president of comedy' was not without its challenges.
Before his rise to fame, Eric Omondi struggled to make ends meet, a reality that many Kenyan celebrities can relate to. The deaths of Mzee Ojwang and Mswahili, two comedians who were also struggling financially, brought this harsh reality to the forefront.
Eric Omondi has spoken out about the difficulties of being a celebrity, saying that it's easy to end up depressed and even resort to desperate measures like theft to survive.
“If you’re a public figure or celebrity and struggling in life, it’s easy for you to end up being depressed. You can do bad things such as steal to get your daily bread because you’re popular, and you’ll suffer.”
He also shared a personal experience of being broke just five months after joining Churchill Show, a popular comedy platform in Kenya.
“Five months after I joined Churchill Show, I became very famous but was so broke.”
Eric Omondi highlighted the pressure of living up to fans' expectations, saying that being famous creates a certain image that's hard to match. He even shared a humorous anecdote about how people would think he was shooting a movie whenever he boarded a matatu (public transport).
Today, Eric Omondi is a celebrated comedian, filling stadiums in Kenya and abroad. He has seemingly overcome his struggles and is now at peace, able to enjoy life's simple pleasures with his family.
