Crime and Justice is now streaming on Showmax. The police procedural and legal drama is both Kenya’s first Showmax Original and Showmax’s first co-production with global broadcaster CANAL+.
Set in Nairobi, Crime and Justice stars Sarah Hassan (Plan B, Just In Time) and Alfred Munyua (Poacher, The First Grader) as Makena and Silas, the Nairobi Metropol Police detectives at the heart of the show.
The eight-part series follows one ripped-from-the-headlines case per episode, all the way through to the courtroom verdict. In the first episode, Silas and Makena investigate the gruesome murder of Abuya (Muhugu Theuri, Pillow Talk), a university student who was entangled in an illicit affair with the powerful politician Barasa (John Sibi-Okumu, The Constant Gardener, The First Grader).
“How she (Makena) feels about this case is exactly how I felt when I was reading everything about this story online and watching it in the news,” says Sarah about this first episode.
“It’s a good thing to be able to portray what a lot of people, including me, were feeling about this particular situation. At least Makena is in a situation where she gets to do something about it, to some extent. We see her going above and beyond to try and get justice for Abuya.”
Alfred warns that viewers shouldn’t expect to see justice served in every episode. “I thought that Crime and Justice would be just about two cops fighting crime, getting everything solved and then going home, happy endings and everything,” he says.
“But then there’s the reality of the situation, not just here in Kenya but everywhere in the world: justice is sometimes biased. There are external factors that come to play, like the government and the judiciary. So, of course, there are episodes where justice will not always be served.
You can’t solve every other crime every day. So Crime and Justice has that realness to it, and I’m glad to be part of something that anyone would relate to.”
Crime and Justice also stars Maqbul Mohammed (Varshita, Makutano Junction), Paul Ogola (Sense 8, Kati Kati), Brian Ogola (Lusala, Poacher) and newcomer Koome Kinoti in recurring roles, with guest stars like Brian Abajah (Sincerely Daisy), Martin Githinji (Sue na Jonnie, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind), Justin Mirichii (Rafiki, Watu Wote), Foi Wambui (Sincerely Daisy, Anda Kava), Brenda Mwai (Noose of Gold, Ma’Empress) and Fareed Khimani (Kona).
Directed by Adam Neutzsky-Wulff working with an all-Kenyan production crew, Crime and Justice is written by Pauline Inda, Anthony Nero and award-winning Kenyan filmmakers Brian Munene (Watu Wote: All of Us, Morning After), Njue Kevin (18 Hours, Intellectual Scum) and Serah Mwihaki (Nairobi Half Life, Kidnapped).
Crime and Justice is one of four Showmax Originals launching in March 2021, in good company with reality series I Am LAYCON, Nigeria’s first Showmax Original, about the most recent Big Brother Naija winner; the South African mockumentary Tali’s Baby Diary; and the South African small town psychological thriller DAM.
