What Happened To Jicho Pevu? It’s Not As Good As It Used To Be

Jicho Pevu is no longer interesting. Not even close. It seems that Moha is no longer interested in giving the public thorough investigative pieces anymore. The last two episodes have been half cooked and full of open bloopers. We can all get the sense that he’s just talking smart but not telling us anything.  So what is the problem? Is his interest in politics clouding his journalistic prowess? Is he past his prime?

The most recent chapter felt deliberately baffling. More than that: It was boring. We hoped for more but only got less.  Everything was painfully slow, stringing us along from one far-flung locale to another with the promise that something’s going to happen, soon,so soon, and oh, how crazy it will be when it does, just you wait!

Lately, viewers have complained that the show has too many plates spinning in the air — too many suggestions and conspiracy theories that are never fully delved into. .For me, the bigger problem is that the show has spread itself between so many plots in so many different settings that each angle only gets a few minutes to advance. It takes so long for each plot to advance that the details start to become fuzzy.

A good investigative piece balances great storylines with intrigue, and right now Jicho Pevu  isn’t doing much of either. The series has been holding us on a knife-edge since Jacob Juma was murdered and we’re still poised on that brink of utter chaos with no solution in site. Moha is only giving hints as to what might have occurred but no concrete answers.. Honestly, when you’ve been made to sit in the same spot for so long, the view starts to look pretty dull.

When Jicho Pevu first came to our screens several years ago, it was like the TV gods had smiled down upon us. Here was a clever, thrilling piece of work and behind it was a man with 200 pound balls.  The show had the kind of twists and turns that we had never seen anywhere else. We couldn’t help but ask ourselves, “Isn’t this guy scared of being hunted down? He must be the bravest human being ever”

We saw, with horror and fascination, the jeopardized Kenyan system through his sharp eyes as we waited fearfully to find out who the culprits of any major crime were.

There was daredevilry, powerful statements and lots of suspense – but most crucially there was an I Can’t Stop Thinking About This Show level of drama. And that’s why maybe it should have been wrapped up while it was still relevant. Maybe that way, it would have remained a perfectly formed and impactful piece of TV – but now, as key plots are dragged on and on, it’s become diluted by repetitive storylines which are hard to truly care about. 

Several years later  and the show feels flat and a little dull. There are no meaty details to keep the momentum going, nothing to fear and nobody to really invest in. In a way it’s impressive that the show keeps going – but I’m worried it’s not heading anywhere exciting. It’s just moving into a territory of desperate realms.

Do something Moha or pass on the torch to someone who can.