Finding a universal punchline within a country is hard enough, but doing so across a whole continent is something else.
This has been a winning feature of Eric Omondi, the pioneering comedian selling out shows across Africa for 16 years.
Reportedly the first Kenyan to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in 2017, he was also named Best Comedian at the annual African Entertainment Awards USA, for three consecutive times from 2018.
The Kenyan funnyman returns to the UAE to headline DxB Comedy Knights on Saturday, an international comedy showcase featuring South Africa's Pius Xulu, Lebanon's John Achkar and Imah Dumagay from the Philippines.
No stranger to Dubai, Omondi expects another raucous audience, including a sizeable number encompassing the UAE’s varied African communities.
“This is really one of the great things about coming back because, really, when you return, Africa comes to you,” he tells The National.
“There are people from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia and so many others that it feels like I am home. They all love the idea of gathering together and having a laugh about things they can all relate to.”
Despite the various languages, cultures and traditions, Omondi states there are certain aspects universal to Africa.
“I talk a lot about our mothers during the show,” he says.
“No matter where you come from, everybody has or knows that typical African mum. The one that is strong and resilient. The one that loves you but shows no emotion and runs the household like a military camp.”
Another topic resonating beyond borders is the tried and tested comedic premise of getting married.
“But it’s not in the way that you think,” Omondi says, with a laugh.
“I talk about how that subject exposes a generational divide and how, before, in many parts of Africa, polygamy was accepted as a normal thing. Now the new generation is asking, how did the elders do it, because who wants all that headache.”
Telling stories
Good-natured jokes aside, comedy is becoming a serious business in Africa.
With the exception of the lull caused by the pandemic, Omondi says comedy clubs are springing up from Nigeria and Uganda to South Africa.
A key reason driving the growth is the art form resembles a professionalised everyday social and cultural practice indigenous to the continent.
“It is storytelling and that is such an African thing,” he says. “Every African has grown up and still sits together with friends and family listening to their funny stories.
“Now, some of them may be a little exaggerated but you didn’t mind because the whole point is to make you laugh and smile.”
But making it professionally is no laughing matter.
Omondi got his first big break with an appearance on Kenyan television variety programme Churchill Show in 2008, but he says it took a while for complete social acceptance of his profession.
"There was still that idea of 'you should get a proper job,'" he recalls.
"This is why I look at myself and colleagues, who are part of the first generation of Kenyan stand-up comedians, as creative freedom fighters, because we had to fight for our space to perform and be accepted."
Fighting for the next generation
Turning the tides of the battle was the same technological force propelling the rise of African music genres such as Nigeria’s Afro-pop and South Africa’s Amapiano to becoming worldwide sensations.
"Social media really revolutionised the comedy scene in Africa from around 2009 to 2011 because we didn't have to totally rely on a comedy club to perform or travel," he says.
"With social media, I can post something on Instagram or YouTube and I can reach people with my content from Ghana to South Africa within a second.
“It made the continent into a global village."
Ironically, those porous cultural borders caused by the internet pushed the self-dubbed “president of comedy in Africa” to embark on a new campaign.
In February, Omondi made local headlines by locking himself in a transparent box outside Kenya's Parliament in protest against a lack of regulation, compelling local broadcasters to play music by Kenyan musicians.
"This is a wider problem in Africa, but in Kenya it's a big issue because only around 15 per cent of content played on our national stations is by Kenyans," he says.
"We need to fight to create a space for these artists, because that will inspire the next generation to enter the arts and create a better industry. We have a lot of great talent in Kenya that we need to care for and provide real opportunities."
DxB Comedy Knights featuring Eric Omondi takes place at The Theatre at the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, on July 23. Show times are 5pm and 8pm. Tickets are Dh100 from ae.bookmyshow.com
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%20v%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DSaturday%2C%208.15pm%2C%20Al%20Ain%20Amblers%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-final%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Exiles%2020-26%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Tigers%2032-43%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETable%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1%20Dubai%20Tigers%2C%2033%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E2%20Dubai%20Exiles%2C%2024%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E3%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%2C%2018%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E4%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%2C%2014%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E5%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%2C%2014%20points%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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WITHIN%20SAND
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Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
India squad
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
