Kenya’s comedy scene has been shaken by a dramatic legal twist as comedian Inspector Mwala officially known as Davis Mwabili, has sued fellow actor Jacky Vike popularly known as Awinja Nyamalo and Coca-Cola over a Ksh 163million marketing campaign dubbed “Kachingching na Coke.”
Mwala has filed the case at the Commercial High Court in Nairobi, claiming the campaign promoting Coca-Cola’s 300ml plastic bottles infringes on his copyright, long used identity, and reputation built over decades in Kenya’s entertainment industry.
Mwala says Awinja posted the content derived from material he copyrighted in 2010. The case has ripples in Kenya’s entertainment industry, raising questions about influencers and corporate brands collaborating together
His lawyer James Mbugua, told the court the defendant’s Awinja and Coca-Cola offended his brand recognition without consent, amounting to copyright infringement and trademark violation.
Coca-Cola hired actress Awinja to run social media promotions across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
The use of “ka-mwala” and “Mwala” in the campaign creates public confusion and wrongfully links him to the product, Mwala said. “My brand is well known, with surveys showing 4 million to 5 million views per episode of my show,” he added.
