The untold story of Nakuru's prankster Elvis Mushila
Nakuru-based Youtuber Elvis Mushila.
A man running after people in Nakuru town, while dressed in a white dress, black blazer, clown face and a wig is how most people know content creator Elvis Mushila.
However, beyond this attire there is more to the Nakuru based comedian.
In an exclusive interview with Mtaa Wangu, Mushila shares his comedy journey.
“I started shooting content while I was in form three, in 2019, while at Langa Langa secondary. At the time, schools were closed down because of the Covid pandemic, so i sought something that could keep me engaged and that’s when I hit the streets of Nakuru,” he reveals.
Elvis Mushila in his prankster attire.
The 19-year-old says he learnt of TikTok in 2020 after he bought himself a smartphone from his savings, put aside from money he got from the ‘Kazi Mtaani’ job he had taken up. He notes that he started off content creation with street interviews before he shifted to pranks.
“One day while at home, I came across my mum's wedding gown and thought of putting it on. I then thought of adding a stocking on my head and come up with a character who could make pranks on the streets, “he says.
He notes that from then on, he would shoot prank videos with his friend from lakeview, after which he noticed his videos were going viral on TikTok.
After that, he made several videos with his phone before he met his current crew of four members who help to shoot his content.
“After noticing the pranks were going viral, I put myself out there and with the help of my friends’ things started taking shape. I got to cross post my content on other social media platforms including Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. I even started shooting content beyond Nakuru. Thats, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nairobi among other places,” he says.
Mushila however reveals to Mtaa Wangu that, from the demands of his craft he had to drop out of school and fully focus on his career in comedy.
“Frankly speaking had I chosen to continue with school, I would not be whom I am today. I might someday go back to my books but for now I am focusing on building the brand,” he says as he scrolls through his TikTok account.
Also Read: Inside the world of a spoken word artist
Mushila notes that Nakuru based spoken word artist Willie Oeba has been his mentor in the industry.
“Oeba has been very instrumental in my career. He taught me how I could monetize my content on YouTube and has always been a call away for any assistance I need,” he says.
Asked about monetary returns on his content, Mushila notes that his first cash out from his content was Sh 100,000, an amount which he says has gone up overtime.
On the flip side of enjoying shooting content that brings laughter to many through their screen, Mushila says that he has once been met with violence, where two men beat him up.
Elvis Mushila celebrated reaching the 100k subscribers mark on his YouTube channel.
“What has kept me going is the immense support I have received from my dad, mum and my fans, something I don’t take for granted. The goal is to bring joy to thousands of people who watch my content each day,” he says.
The content creator was awarded a silver YouTube button for hitting 100k followers on YouTube, something he considers a great milestone in his career.
He is among the top You tubers in Nakuru with over 100k subscribers after content creator Presenter Kai who was also awarded the silver button.