GOING BY HIS ACADEMIC BACKGROUND Joshua Kamirindi would now be a professional electrical engineer or a marketing pioneer. Instead, he chose to follow his dream career in comedy, even though his parents did not approve of hic choice.

Today, he is regarded as one of the best comedians that Rwanda has had.

The comedian, 25, was born in Wakiso, Uganda, to a Rwandan father and Ugandan mother. His parents met in Uganda where his father was refugee during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

They returned to Rwanda in 2002 and lived in Nyagatare District, where Joshua started primary education.

The comedian described his childhood as being calm and quiet around his parents, especially his father, as a result of the hardship he endured during his time in refuge.

At school however, he was a totally different person.

 "There was no time to joke at home. We never got time to speak to our parents as we were expected to concentrate on studies.

But I was a crazy guy at school and my parents were always surprised whenever the school administration reported that I was caught disturbing in class,” the comedian recalls.

Starting out

Comedy has been part of Josh’s life from a tender age. His colleagues used to tell him that he was making them laugh.

When the City of Kigali organized ‘Akeza Talent’, a talent competition which aimed at giving a platform to young talents through competitions in different categories, Joshua participated and emerged winner in the comedy category.

 "They gave me a notebook and a pen as a prize but, most importantly, I was excited to see my performance on Rwanda Television,” he said.

While at IPRC, Joshua also took part in another competition that brought together talents in different art categories, which saw him win a prize as the overall winner of the competition.

Upon completing his high school studies, Joshua joined the ‘Com Factory’, a comedy talk show that used to air on Rwanda Television. Although ‘Comedy Knights’, the producers of ‘Com Factory’, had never seen him performing comedy before, Joshua convinced them to consider his application which they immediately approved after watching a sample video of his performance.

The show increasingly gained prominence and, thanks to it, Joshua’s gigs became favorites among comedy lovers.

His parents however had no idea about his comedy gigs until they watched his standup comedy performances on Rwanda Television.

"Nobody at home knew that I was doing comedy. They couldn’t even believe it because they thought I was very calm at home,” he said.

As one of a few comedians who quickly rose to stardom Joshua’s parents were convinced that their son was already making a living out of the fame that he had established.

They were, however, disappointed to learn that the comedian was not making a penny. While they thought they were doing a good thing for their son when they offered him to become an electrician of his father’s school in Nyagatare, Joshua’s mind was only focused on how he could become a successful comedian.

"I rejected the offer because I didn’t want to lose my fame because I was already living the best days of my career. My foot was grounded in comedy.

Realising that they could not convince otherwise, they supported me in my journey to becoming successful in what I love. My passion and love for comedy made me sacrifice a lot for it. But I am happy that all I have is attributed to comedy,” he said

Today, Joshua feels blessed to see his parents among his diehard supporters.

"They excitedly tell their friends about how I do comedy. When I am home, they proudly introduce me to the guests because my love for comedy is bearing fruits. I attribute all I have to it,” he said.

Joshua has shared stages with several renowned comedians, both local and international, such as Arthur Nkusi, Kenyan Chipukeezy as well as Malawian Daliso Chaponda among many others.  

He has also performed at many of the biggest comedy shows organised in Kigali including ‘Seka Live’, ‘Bigomba Guhinduka’ and his most memorable show ‘Kigali International Comedy Festival’, which saw him named the overall ‘man of the show’ ahead of big African comedy stars like America’s Got Talent finalist Daliso Chaponda.

"Being named the ‘man of the show’ always keeps me thinking of how hard I need to work to grow my career,” he said.

The future

While comedians, like other artists, are banned from performing at large gatherings due to the pandemic, Joshua thought of a new innovative way to keep himself and his comedy supporters at bay.

He created a comedy show dubbed ‘The Josh Challenge’ which airs every day on KC2.

The comedian builds the challenges from showbiz news trending in Rwanda.

His comic talent has also earned him an acting role in some of the local drama series like City Maid.

He shared that he is also looking to create more comedy innovations as he seeks to promote his brand to the international scene.

"My eyes are set on moving my comedy from the local to the international level, it is my vision, my future and I hope to achieve it,” he said.

He also plans to support young comedians to find a platform to show their talent in comedy.