MIKEKA

The Mijikenda tribe are one of Kenya's most diversified communities and reside in sacred fortified villages within coastal forests known as Kayas. Protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Kayas serve as the home and spiritual heart of the Mijikenda people and are fiercely protected by Kaya elders. In present day Kenya in the shadow of these biodiverse forests, LINDA (24), a privileged Mijikenda woman living abroad, faces an impossible choice that will either continue to preserve centuries of sacred tradition, or break it to honor her late cousin's dying wish.

Linda returns after her cousin LORRAINE (22) dies under brutal conditions at Karawa Coffee Farm, owned by ruthless former Mijikenda elder, MZEE WANGA (60s). Linda is tasked by her mother, MIRIAM (50s), with transporting Lorraine's body 500km to the Kayas for her burial. For the Mijikenda, burial in the sacred Kayas is the only pathway for ancestors to guide the living and thus when Linda received a handwritten letter from Lorraine requesting to be cremated, this request shatters her world. On the day of the body's preparation, Linda uses this chance to uncover the truth behind her cousin's death.

Posing as a tourist on the farm's final coffee tour, Linda discovers Mzee Wanga has been exploiting the sacred Kayas to harvest wild coffee berries while subjecting workers to systematic abuse. Despite intimidation from farm manager ADRIAN ADAMBA, Linda learns that long shifts, starvation wages, and relentless exploitation inevitably drove Lorraine's final wish. Learning this, Linda ultimately honors her request for cremation.

When the community discovers this, Linda is summoned to Mikeka, a traditional reconciliation ritual. Confronting Mzee Wanga before Kaya elders, Linda helps achieve justice but must face the consequences for her taboo decision. The elders present a brutal ultimatum: accept permanent exile from the Kayas and proceed with the burial or inherit Lorraine's debt punishment for not transitioning to an ancestor, while maintaining ties with the community. Linda chooses the latter. Set against Kenya's stunning landscapes, MIKEKA asks profound questions about loyalty, sacrifice, and cultural identity while exploring how indigenous communities balance ancestral wisdom with modern realities.

  • Victor Kariuki
    Writer
  • Cecimercy Wanza
    Executive Producer
    Kanairo, Nairobi Bachelor, Volume
  • Project Type:
    Short Script
  • Genres:
    Mystery, Thriller
  • Number of Pages:
    20
  • Language:
    English, Swahili
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Writer Biography - Victor Kariuki

Born and raised in Kenya's vibrant capital city, Nairobi, Victor Kariuki is a visionary screenwriter and director with over 3 years’ experience in crafting distinctly Kenyan films that delve into tribal mythology, explores themes of reconciliation, African identity, and soul-destroying experiences, crafting gripping tales set in both modern and historical Africa.

Recently he’s been the recipient of the Some Fine Day Pix and Sinema Mtaani grants for his writing debut short film "MAKONDE" which chronicles a stateless community's fight for recognition, exemplifying his commitment to authentic African storytelling.

Other key accomplishments include screenplay development for a Maisha Magic feature film titled "Holiday Fiancee," directing two competition-selected micro shorts, directing news broadcasts for Kenya's largest broadcasting company, Citizen TV as well as directing an inhouse micro-documentary. Based in Nairobi, he's developing projects through his production company, Lexogrove Films Africa.

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Writer Statement

In my journey as an artist, the greatest gift communities have given me is the gift of perspective. Two years ago, a trespassing incident at an abandoned railway sparked my interest in African conflict resolution. In my research, I discovered a sacred Mijikenda reconciliation ritual known as 'Mikeka' where conflicted parties sit on mats before Kaya elders in the community's most sacred spaces in forests known as Kayas. The Mijikenda Kayas, now UNESCO heritage sites, have become some of Earth's most biodiverse forests through indigenous preservation. Yet they face extinction as elders pass away and traditions fade.

Inspired by an idea of an abandoned coffee farm, I wrote a story where I got to confront the coffee industry through this traditional lens. In a community that buries their dead in sacred forests, a young woman's choice to cremate her cousin, breaking burial customs, is not only a compelling story, but also relevant and essential for our understanding of cultural preservation.

As my short film directorial debut, MIKEKA is dedicated to the Mijikenda and coffee growers, representing my commitment to preserving Kenya's underrepresented communities and their culture. MIKEKA will be filmed in the native Giriama language with local Mijikenda cast members, ensuring this is African storytelling rooted in cultural authenticity. By capturing how traditional communities confront the dilemma of abandoning sacred ways to adapt to the present, I want audiences to question: what is the true cost of progress?