Mama Kayai

{{Short description|Kenyan actress}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Mary Kavere

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Mary Kavere

| birth_place = Kenya

| nationality = Kenyan

| occupation = Actress

| known_for = Acting

| other_names = Mama Kayai

| spouse = Saidiel Matano

| children = 5

| awards = Grand Warrior awards

}}

Mary Kavere, popularly known as Mama Kayai, is a veteran actor in Kenya and one of the thespians acknowledged for pioneering the acting industry in Kenya.{{Cite web|last=Nyanga|first=Caroline|title=Mama Kayai, 'I stayed true to myself'|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/article/2001340686/mama-kayai-i-stayed-true-to-myself|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Eve Woman}} She has been in the industry for about four decades. In 2018 she was honored with the Grand Warrior Award which is also the feted induction to the Riverwood Awards Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |date=18 September 2018 |title=Mama Kayai Inducted Into Riverwood Awards Hall of Fame {{!}} Ebru TV Kenya |url=http://www.ebru.co.ke/mama-kayai-inducted-into-riverwood-awards-hall-of-fame/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119105855/http://www.ebru.co.ke/mama-kayai-inducted-into-riverwood-awards-hall-of-fame/ |archive-date=2021-11-19 |access-date=2020-11-06 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=THE RIVERWOOD AWARDS 2018 MAIN EVENT – Kenya Film Classification Board|url=https://kfcb.co.ke/the-riverwood-awards-2018-main-event/|access-date=2020-11-06|language=en-US}}

She came into the public limelight in the 1980s following the premier of a popular comical family show, Vitimbi, in 1985 in the state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation then known as Voice of Kenya (VOK). She later featured in another popular drama Vioja Mahakamani.{{Cite web|title=I was paid a salary of 40 bob — Mama Kayai|url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/sasa/word-is/2020-09-25-i-was-paid-a-salary-of-40-bob--mama-kayai/|access-date=2020-11-06|website=The Star|language=en-KE}} In the recent days she has been acting in another TV show Jungu Kuu [https://web.facebook.com/Jungukuuke/] that's aired on K24.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVl-D4ByWFE&ab_channel=K24TV]

Mama Kayai was acting as the wife of also another celebrated thespian, the late Benson Wanjau, popularly known as Mzee Ojwang'{{Cite web|title=Legendary Vitimbi actor Mzee Makanyaga is dead, to be buried today|url=https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/news/legendary-vitimbi-actor-mzee-makanyaga-is-dead-to-be-buried-today|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Nairobi News|date=28 October 2020 |language=en-US}} and the two were celebrated as the power couple of Kenyan comedy.{{Cite web|last=Samora|first=Mwaura|title=Mzee Ojwang' was my good friend - Mama Kayai speaks out on loss of close colleague|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/lifestyle/2000169461/mzee-ojwang'-was-my-good-friend-mama-kayai-speaks-out-on-loss-of-close-colleague|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Standard Entertainment and Lifestyle|language=en}} Mzee Ojwang', christened the father of family comedy died of pneumonia in 2015.{{Cite news|date=2015-07-29|title='Mzee Ojwang' funeral: Kenyans mourn father of family comedy|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33702221|access-date=2020-11-06}}

The Vitimbi crew led by Mama Kayai and Mzee Ojwang' were always accorded an opportunity to entertain the nation in all national holidays.{{Cite web|last=pm|first=Denis Mwangi on 23 September 2020-2:59|title=Mama Kayai's Struggle With Mzee Ojwang's Wife [VIDEO]|url=https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/57612-mama-kayais-struggle-mzee-ojwang's-wife-video|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Kenyans.co.ke|language=EN}}

Kenya's founding president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta often invited the vitimbi crew to entertain him at his Gatundu home. The late president Daniel Moi was also particularly fond of Mama Kayai and Mzee Ojwang's theatrics and other than according them an opportunity to perform at national holidays, he also invited them to state house.

Former president Mwai Kibaki also regularly invited Mama Kayai and her team to State House.