The long road to lead, actor Michael Saruni’s breakthrough in 'Mizani'

For over a decade, Michael Saruni has been a familiar yet understated presence on Kenyan screens, steadily building his craft across a range of roles.

Now, with his first-ever lead role in Mizani, the actor is finally stepping into the spotlight, marking a significant turning point in a career defined by patience and persistence.

Saruni’s journey has not been one of overnight success. Having started acting at just 17, he quickly realised that talent alone would not sustain him.

“After a while, I realised I needed to figure life out. There’s life on set and then there’s real life. If you don’t balance the two, you lose one,” he reflects.

That realisation led him to take a step back from acting and return to school, prioritising stability at a time when the industry offered little financial security.

Audiences last saw Saruni in The Chocolate Empire, his first Showmax Original, a project he describes as a defining moment in his career.

“Just being on that platform was an honour. Knowing that people across Africa and beyond could see my work? That was huge for me,” he says.

While the role expanded his reach, it is ‘Mizani’ that has handed him the responsibility and pressure of carrying a story as the lead.

For Saruni, the opportunity is not lost on him. “Now I am coming back and playing the lead role. I’m just humbled. Opportunities like this don’t come easy,” he admits.

His portrayal of Suleiman, a struggling single father, demanded both emotional depth and authenticity qualities Saruni drew from his own life experiences.

Working with director Daudi Anguka was, in many ways, a full-circle moment. Saruni reveals that he had long admired Anguka’s work and had even considered reaching out for opportunities on the Coast. That call, however, never happened.

“Funny enough, there was a time I even asked for his number so I could call and ask if he had any Coast gigs but I never made that call. Months later, I was shooting Mizani in Mombasa. God works in interesting ways,” he says.

Beyond coincidence, the collaboration reflects Saruni’s belief in supporting emerging creatives within the industry.

He saw the project not just as a role, but as a chance to contribute meaningfully to a story rooted in a region he knows well, having been raised at the Coast.

As Saruni steps into leading-man territory, his ambitions extend beyond performing. He is increasingly vocal about the need for Kenyan actors to take ownership of their craft by producing their own content.

“The future is in actors producing their own stories. Audiences follow people,” he notes, pointing to the global trend where star power often drives viewership.

For him, building a recognisable presence is part of a larger strategy not just for personal growth, but for the sustainability of the industry.

With ‘Mizani’, Saruni is not simply embracing a new role; he is signalling a shift in his career. After 15 years of navigating the highs and lows of acting, he is finally where he has long been working towards, at the centre of the story.