Comedian Michael Akala Omuka, commonly known as Smart Joker, opened up about his journey into comedy, revealing that his stage name was born out of his love for creativity while still in high school.

The comedian said he was part of a group known as the “Kumnyamnyam Squad,” where he began experimenting with spoken word and poetry.

“Nikiwa high school, tulikua na group ilikua inaitwa ‘Kumnyamnyam Squad,'” he said. “Ju ya creativity nikaanza tu kutunga vitu zangu kama spoken word na poetry, na nikaanza kujiita ‘Against bad things brand Michael the Brilliant Billionaire the ‘Smart Joker.'”

He explained that he later realised the name was too long and difficult for people to understand, prompting him to shorten it to “Smart Joker.”

Smart Joker further revealed that he first discovered his comedic talent while performing songs in church after noticing that people would often laugh during his performances. He said a friend later encouraged him to audition for comedy, a move that changed the course of his career, introducing him to the entertainment industry.

The comedian also urged creatives to remain grateful regardless of how much support they receive.

“Wewe kama creative ukiwa na viwango vyako vya kauppreciatiwa, unajua kuna mtu hatoshekangi. Ata akipewa KSh.200, anasema, ‘nilipewa tu KSh.200.’ Inafaa ata ukipewa KSh.5, shukuru Mungu. Wewe hujui ni kwanini huyo mtu amekutumia, hata hujui kama amefuliza. Thank someone out there.”

On handling criticism online, Smart Joker advised young people to avoid unnecessary social media confrontations.

He also admitted that fame had significantly changed his daily life, saying he could no longer freely access some places whenever he walked around on foot due to public attention.

Smart Joker called on young people to stay away from crime and embrace peaceful living.

“Vijana tuwache crime, tuwache mambo mabaya mabaya,” he concludes, “Freedom ni kitu tamu sana.”