By Editorial team
Calm, collected, and quietly fierce, Anita Wawuda is stepping into her most powerful role yet as Nimo, an undercover detective sent to dismantle a deadly syndicate in Maisha Magic Plus’ and Showmax’s gripping crime drama Mizani.
From impromptu auditions and deep undercover scenes to guns, stunts, and steamy deception, Anita opens up about her journey, her love for acting, and why playing a cop feels like destiny.
Who is Anita?
That’s a good question. Anita, she’s a calm, chill person. Like, I love acting. I’m a marketer by profession and an actor. And the one fun thing about Anita is that I’ve always wanted to play the role of a cop.
In Mizani, my character Nimo, is an undercover DCI, who is recruited by the governor, Governor Philip. She comes low-key to investigate this syndicate that has been going on in the area where the governor is working.
One of her key people of interest is Solo (Jack Mutinda), and to get close, she pretends to fall in love with him. It’s all strategy, all work — and incredibly intense.
In this show, you reunite with Jiji co-star, Keith Chuaga. Tell us about this.
Working with Keith again was amazing. This was our third project together, but with a totally different dynamic. In Jiji, he played my husband — full romance, chemistry, and closeness. In Mizani, he is my boss. I report to him. No hugging. No softness. Just orders.It felt weird at first. I kept thinking, Wait, aren’t you supposed to hug me? But we quickly found our rhythm, and the transformation worked beautifully on screen.
What was your reaction when you found out you got this role?
Funny enough, I didn’t even audition for Nimo at first. I showed up for a completely different role. It was a last-minute decision. Then I got a callback:
“We want you to audition for Nimo.”I nearly screamed.I’ve always dreamed of playing a cop. In another life, I swear I’d be a DCI agent. So, when they told me Nimo was a cop, I was all in. No hesitation. No fear. Just pure excitement.
What keeps motivating you to work with Daudi?
Working with Daudi goes way back. I have seen his grind, his hustle, his sacrifices and I deeply admire his work ethic. Watching his journey from where we started to where he is now fills me with pride.
Anytime Daudi calls me for an audition, I show up. No excuses. No matter how busy I am.Our last project together before Mizani was a short film called White Doom and trust me; I looked completely different in that one.
What was one of your highlights while shooting this show?
Some of my favorite scenes are when Nimo finally reveals who she really is. She drops the undercover act, pulls out her badge, gears up, and steps fully into DCI mode; guns, official suits, authority, power. Those moments made me feel unstoppable.
What did you do to prepare for the role?
I researched female DCI officers and FBI agents, studied how they dress, move, speak, and carry themselves. I binge-watched crime shows and spoke to friends who actually work in DCI to understand the mindset. I wanted Nimo to feel authentic.
How was it working alongside Jack Mutinda, who is a stunt guy?
We have done a couple of stunts with him, but I think I felt like for us it came naturally. Like because I have had some training with the gun training, like weapon shooting and all that.
So at least I have a background, like some knowledge on how to hold a weapon, how to take out a magazine, fill it up with bullets and all that.
Where are you based?
I’m from Mombasa. I’m a coastarian. But right now, like I moved to Nairobi a couple of years ago, so I live in Nairobi currently.If you’re not on set, where would we find you?At the gym or in my kitchen cooking
What’s your favorite meal?
Seafood pasta.Watch Anita in Mizani with new episodes every Wednesday on Showmax and Saturdays on Maisha Magic Plus
