From ‘Makutano Junction’ to Showmax: Inside Lizz Njagah’s transition to power producer

For years, Kenyan audiences knew Lizz Njagah as a familiar face on their screens, whether through the long-running TV drama ‘Makutano Junction’ or films like Veve.

But behind the scenes, a quieter transformation was taking place. Today, Njagah is no longer just performing stories, she’s shaping them.

As the Executive Producer of Showmax’s bold new comedy Adam to Eve, she is stepping firmly into her role as one of Kenya’s most influential creative forces.

Her journey reflects not just personal growth, but a broader shift in Kenya’s film industry, where more creatives are moving beyond the spotlight to take control of storytelling itself.

Njagah’s transition into production was not accidental. Having spent years on set as an actress, she developed a deep understanding of the filmmaking process, one that now informs her leadership style.

“My years in front of the camera have been my greatest training ground as a producer,” she explains.

“I understand what it feels like to be on set for long hours, to need direction that inspires, and to crave an environment where creativity feels safe.”

This perspective has shaped how she runs her productions. Rather than a rigid, top-down approach, Njagah prioritises collaboration and empathy, qualities she believes bring out the best in both cast and crew.

“That empathy helps me manage productions with balance,” she says. “I know what actors need to give their best and what a crew needs to stay motivated.”

Through her production company, Historia Films, co-founded with her husband Alex Konstantaras, Njagah has been steadily building a catalogue of bold and culturally relevant projects.

From the risqué comedy House of Lungula to the widely embraced Fundi-Mentals, her work has consistently leaned into stories that resonate with Kenyan audiences.

She credits this to a clear understanding of what viewers want.

"Kenyan audiences are incredibly smart and emotionally tuned in,” she says. “They love authenticity, humour rooted in truth, and stories that reflect the world around them.”

This philosophy carries into Adam to Eve, a series that blends humour with social commentary, offering a fresh take on gender dynamics while staying grounded in everyday experiences.

While 'Adam to Eve' may feel timely, its origins date back more than a decade. Njagah reveals that the concept was first developed 13 years ago, complete with a pilot episode that never made it to air.

“Sometimes in this industry, the timing isn’t right,” she reflects. “So we put it on the back burner.”

But when the project resurfaced, the world, and the conversation around gender, had changed.

“There’s this global and local movement of women waking up, speaking out, and reclaiming their narratives,” she says. “Suddenly, the story felt urgent again, like it had been waiting for this exact moment.”

At its core, Adam to Eve is both daring and accessible, a balance Njagah was intentional about achieving.

“It’s all about trust,” she explains. “Trusting the writers to push boundaries and trusting myself to know when to pull back.”

The guiding question throughout production remained simple: Does this feel true?

“As long as the emotional core stayed honest, we allowed the creative risks to flourish around it,” she adds.

For Njagah, stepping into production is about more than career progression, it’s about influence and representation.

“As a woman in film, I’ve seen firsthand how often women’s voices are minimized,” she says. “Producing Adam to Eve felt like reclaiming space.”

Her goal is not just to tell stories, but to open doors for others.

“I want to keep building stories, especially for women, not just in front of the camera, but behind it,” she says. “When women tell their own stories, we shift narratives not just in film, but in society.”

Despite the growing importance of streaming metrics and awards, Njagah defines success differently.