During an episode of the Mic Cheque podcast, Abel Mutua recounted an incident when SK Macharia stumbled upon their payroll, revealing that at that time, they were earning Sh3,000 per episode as part of the Tahidi High cast.
The acclaimed scriptwriter and Actor Abel Mutua recently divulged some lesser-known insights about his tenure at Citizen TV, where he served as an actor and camera operator for Tahidi High.
"We used to earn Sh3,000 during the first year. Then when the show was big the boss SK Macharia came across our payroll. He was shocked after realizing superstars were being paid Sh3K," Mutua said.
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He went on to disclose that Macharia made the decision to triple their salaries, considering that their show was immensely beloved by the audience.
"He ordered the salary to be reviewed. The salary was tripled from Sh3K to Sh9K plus an extra Sh1,000 to take care of things like uniforms, and shoes. So from season 8, we were earning Sh10K per episode," he explained.
"So we did it for one year which is equivalent to 4 seasons. So I used to receive a salary three times, as a scriptwriter, Actor, and camera operator. Scripting was Sh15K per episode and Sh7K for camera operator per episode,".
Mutua also opened up about his long-standing friendship with Phillip Karanja, which traces back to their college days.
"We reported to college the same day, later became roommates, got picked for Tahidi High the same day, and got employed as crew to Citizen TV the same day. We also stayed in the same house in Pangani," Mutua said.
Abel Mutua portrayed the character of Freddie on Tahidi High, while Phillip Karanja took on the role of Johnny. Sarah Hassan was cast as Tanya, and Dennis Mugo played OJ in the show. These individuals were some of the standout figures in Tahidi High, alongside characters like Principal Tembo, Miss Morgan, Shishi, and others.
The ex-Tahidi High Actor took a trip down memory lane, recounting a harrowing incident where he nearly lost his life after fainting in the bathroom.
"I fainted in the bathroom naked, with only the househelp in the house. She was the only one home so she had to help me.
"I had overworked myself coz I had just gotten my first child. I had the fear of, My kid is here I can't give them excuses, you have to provide," he said.
