Eugene Mbugua

Eugene Mbugua
Born (1986-06-05) 5 June 1986
NationalityKenyan
EducationUnited States International University-Africa
OccupationTelevision producer
Years active2013-present
Organization(s)Documentary and Reality Television Limited
Notable workReal Housewives of Nairobi

Eugene Mbugua (born 5 June 1986) is a Kenyan television producer. He is known for creating the shows Young Rich and producing reality shows like Sol Family, Being Bahati, The Real Housewives of Nairobi and The Mommy Club NBO.

Early life and education

Mbugua attended Upper Hill Boys High School in Nairobi, Kenya. In high school, he was part of a student-owned canteen, which sold snacks during breaks.[1] After high school, Mbugua was an extra on the local television show Inspekta Mwala, which aired on Citizen TV. He was also a boom-swinger on local television shows Makutano Junction which aired on NTV station and Machachari on Citizen TV.[2] He attended the United States International University-Africa (USIU), Nairobi where he pursued a bachelor's degree in television production and print media.

Career

In 2013, Mbugua founded Documentary & Reality Studios (D&R Studios), a production company specializing in documentaries and reality storytelling.[3][4] Young Rich, the company's first production released that same year, made Mbugua, then 22 years old, the youngest producer in Kenya to have a show on national television.[5] The two-year series followed young, successful Kenyan entrepreneurs over eight seasons.

In 2016, Mbugua released the first season of Our Perfect Wedding. The Showmax reality series, which follows Kenyan couples as they plan their wedding, celebrated its 17th season in 2024.[6][7] In 2018, Mbugua produced Being Bahati, a reality show on the Kenyan gospel musician Bahati and his family. It was the first Kenyan celebrity reality show.

In 2019, D&R Studios released Foods of Kenya on KTN. The series showcased Kenyan local foods and traditions as well as dance and culture.[8] After a 2-year hiatus, the series returned for a second season in February 2021.[9]

In 2020, Mbugua produced the reality show Sol Family which followed the lives of the Kenyan Afropop band Sauti Sol and members of their record label Sol Generation Records.[10] That same year, in collaboration with the Kenya Film Association, Mbugua produced Concert Nyumbani. The televised event showcased performances of various Kenyan artists during the COVID-19 pandemic and aired on local TV stations that included K24, KTN, NTV, KBC and Switch TV.[11]

2021 saw the release of Mbugua's next celebrity-driven reality show Our Love, based on Kenyan musicians Nameless and Wahu, which premiered on Showmax on 24 May.[12] Mbugua next followed up with Kyallo Culture, a 13-episode reality series following the media personality Betty Kyallo and her sisters in 2022. It ranked as one of the top-10 shows on Showmax that year.[13] Season 2 was released the following year.

In 2023 Mbugua's The Real Housewives of Nairobi, an international installment of The Real Housewives, aired on Showmax, followed by its second season release in 2024.[14][15]

In 2024, he developed and produced The Hot Seat, a comedy roast tv series for Showmax that debuted in December.[16]

In April 2025, the distributor Rushlake Media and D&R Studios announced a partnership in which the German company would distribute D&R Studio's content in North America and Europe.[17]

In May 2025, Showmax announced that D&R Studios will be producing Kenyan edition of the Mommy Club Franchise, titled The Mommy Club NBO that premiered on May 30th on the African streamer.[18]

Other Business Ventures

Mbugua owns Number 7, a nightclub in Nairobi.[19]

Awards and recognitions

  • In 2014, Business Daily listed Eugene Mbugua in the Top 40 Men Under 40 2014.[20]
  • In 2014, he won a Kalasha Award in the best editor category for the film Child Hire
  • In 2016, Forbes Africa, listed him in the 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa[21]
  • In 2017, he was listed in Forbes Africa 2017's class of 30 under 30.[22]
  • In 2024, Africapitol named him as one of the 50 most influential executive leaders in Kenya.[23]

References

  1. ^ Chebet, Terryanne. "Kenya's Early Adopter In Showbiz On The Next Big Disruption". Forbes Africa. Forbes Africa. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  2. ^ Matiko, Thomas. "Millionaire producer: I'd never put money in film". NATION. NATION. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  3. ^ Opondo, Agnes. ""I Love Telling People Stories." Eugene Mbugua Shares On Being An Executive Film Producer". KENYANVIBE. KENYANVIBE. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  4. ^ "D&R Studios - Company Information, Competitors, News & FAQs". 6sense. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  5. ^ Omondi, Ian. "PROFILE: Eugene Mbugua Talks Creating 11 TV Shows And Being A Renegade". Citizen Digital. Citizen. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  6. ^ Oruta, Brian. "The best of Eugene Mbugua on Showmax". The Star. The Star. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  7. ^ Staff Writer (2024-10-28). "Our Perfect Wedding Kenya S1-17". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  8. ^ Ngina, Fay. "Are you ready for Foods of Kenya Season 3 returning on KTN Home?". The Standard. The Standard. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  9. ^ "PREPARING WILD FOODS", Wild Yet Tasty, The University Press of Kentucky, pp. 33–33, 2019-02-22, retrieved 2025-04-14
  10. ^ eDaily Reporter. "Sauti Sol, Eugene Mbugua Announce The Second Season Of Sol Family". Citizen Digital. Citizen. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  11. ^ Kenya Film Commission. "Kenya Film Commission And Eugene Mbugua Announce Concert Nyumbani, The Biggest Entertainment Event On Kenyan Televisio". Kenya Film Commission. Kenya Film Commission. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  12. ^ Ngigi, Elizabeth. "Eugene Mbugua: It took two years to persuade Wahu and Nameless to film reality show". Nairobi News. Nairobi News. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  13. ^ Nguutu, Nzyoka (2023-06-10). "Kyallo Kulture: A Kenyan Reality Show Filled with Sass and Showstopper Moments! - Couture Africa". Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  14. ^ Milimo, Dennis. "Meet the prolific producer behind The Real Housewives of Nairobi". mpasho. mpasho. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  15. ^ VinieO (2024-09-09). "From 'Young Rich' to 'Real Housewives of Nairobi': Eugene Mbugua, the Visionary Shaping Kenya's Film & Reality TV Landscape". Capital Lifestyle. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  16. ^ Milimo, Dennis (10 December 2024). "Eugene Mbugua gives little-known details about comedy roast show "The Hot Sea"". Mpasho. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Rushlake Reps D&R's Kenyan Content". VideoAge International. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  18. ^ Opondo, Agnes (8 May 2025). "Showmax Unveils 'The Mommy Club NBO' – A Dazzling New Chapter in Its Hit Reality Franchise". KenyanVibe. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  19. ^ Mwangi, Denis. "How I lost over Sh10 Million after investing in a bar - Eugene Mbugua". Pulse.live.co.ke. PULSE. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  20. ^ Business Daily. "Top 40 Men Under 40 2014: How we picked the winners". Business Daily. Business Daily. Retrieved 24 May 2024. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ Mfonobong Nsehe, Mfonobong Nsehe. "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2016". Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  22. ^ Mangena, Ancillar. "Meet 2017's new class of 30 under 30". Forbes Africa. Forbes Africa. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  23. ^ KENYANVIBE. "FILMLulu Hassan, Eugene Mbugua Named Among 50 Top CEOs In Kenya". KENYANVIBE. KENYANVIBE. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
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