Nick Wambugu’s award-winning work in narrative and documentary filmmaking spans more than a decade and crosses borders. He is guided by an anthropological instinct, he has built a body of work that explores culture, identity, and resilience through human-centred storytelling.
“I tell stories of the mavericks, the misfits—the people who never get the spotlight but form the backbone of who we are.” His career has been defined by courage, patience, and commitment to truth. But it is his recent work that has placed him at the centre of Kenya’s cultural and political reawakening.
In 2025, Wambugu was involved in “Blood Parliament”, a BBC documentary that led to his arrest and more than 15 court appearances. Despite the pressure, he directed and produced “The People Shall”, a documentary capturing the Gen Z–led uprising of 2024 in Kenya. “Protest culture changed,” he says. “For the first time it wasn’t about politics—it was about people.”
The film premiered to sold-out theatres at the NBO Film Festival, becoming a defining generational record. His defining moment came through “Street Dreams”, his first feature documentary produced for BBC Africa Eye. He lived among Nairobi’s street dancers for five years to capture their world. “That film defined me. It showed me the kind of voice I have as a storyteller.”
"Protest culture changed—for the first time, it wasn’t about politics—it was about people."
Resilient, community-driven, and principled, Wambugu believes he is crafting a new powerhouse of African storytelling—one that bridges history and humanity.
-Ndugu Abisai