Lilian Muli, a top Kenyan TV anchor has pleaded with Kenyans to help Potash. Potash Charles Matathia is a popular scriptwriter from Kenya. He is known for writing the “Nairobi Half-Life”. The local film is about a young man living with his parents. He earns a living by vending western action films. The young man portrays the action figures in his films to entice the customers.
The scriptwriter has been battling psychotic depression which comes as a result of severe depression. Lilian Muli requested Kenyans for help after an online video surfaced on the internet. Potash was seen wandering on the streets of Nairobi town and someone was taking a video of him. Potash was talking about the other films that he scripted and his future projects.
Lilian Muli’s Instagram post
On seeing his condition, Lilian Muli took to her Instagram to plead with Kenyans to help potash.
She later revealed how she enjoyed watching “Nairobi Half-Life” and it broke her heart to see potash crying for help.
She captioned the post,” This broke my heart. This is potash Charles Matathia, who scripted Nairobi Half-Life. I watched the movie and it was fantastic. Please let us join hands and help this young man with so much talent to recover and write another award-winning script.”
On another video of an interview that potash had with a local radio station, he said, he doesn’t want to be famous. All he wants is to get well and get back to his normal life.
A section of Kenyans on the internet lobbied for the support of the scriptwriter. A Mpesa pay bill number has been put up on social media for raising funds that will help him.
The struggles of potash Charles Matathia.
Potash has been living in abject poverty in his rural home town in Wangige, county of Kiambu. One could easily confuse him for a mad man in the streets. Life took a wrong turn for him in a split of a second. From being a successful screenwriter to battling psychotic depression and now this sickness has robbed him of so much.
The 40-year-old potash was spotted, seemingly begging for handouts carrying a sack in Westlands, Nairobi on Tuesday, February 2020.
Nairobi Half-Life, produced by Tosh Gitonga pushed potash to the limelight. the film was selected as the Kenyan entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards but did not make it. Nevertheless, it made it in history as the first time Kenya has submitted a film in that category.
The fall of the scriptwriter.
After the success of the film, potash would give in to drug abuse. He was sent to a rehabilitation center for an addiction that was not disclosed to the public.
This would then be the beginning of his misfortunes. He is diagnosed with psychotic depression which could be caused by severe depression. After the video surfaced online, a section of Kenyans conveyed their sympathies and called for government intervention.
These creatives need mentors, someone to be with them always without tiring. Once you get into the spotlight, fame goes into your head. You start doing irrational things without thinking. These people need guidance especially when the camera’s attention is shifted from them. All we can ask is for God to save our youth.
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