50 days, 8 countries, 50 people, 1 Tusker…All on an incredible journey through East Africa and Europe to deliver a taste of home and show the world that a little bit of Kenya can go a long way.

Kenya is 50, and what better way to celebrate it than this; Tusker Twende Kazi. Last week, East African Breweries Limited (EABL) launched an all new reality TV show, the first of its kind in the country, “Tusker Twende Kazi”.  The East African version of the popular reality series, The Amazing Race, this show which kicked off at Uhuru Gardens (the location of Kenya first ever flag-raising), follows 50  East African citizens as they race from Kenya to London on a task to deliver “a  little bit of home” – tusker Lager to the celebrated Kenyan rugby export Humphrey Khayange, currently based in London. The 50 participants grouped in 25 teams of two (comprising of an ordinary East African citizen and a celebrity) must find their way to London through 8 countries armed with nothing but their strength and charm. The teams will get around with no money at all! and must rely only on goodwill from strangers and all the charm they can muster to get to the various checkpoints they will be sent to each week. Celebrities featured here from East Africa include; Ezekiel Kemboi, Legendary Kipchoge Keino, Nameless, Bebe Cool, Maurice Kirya, STL, “the blackest man in black Africa” – Fred Obachi Machoka, Eve D’Souza, Collo, Radio & Weasel, Papa Shirandula, Jalang’o and a host of many others.

To get them through this long, tough, obstacle ridden 50-day journey, each team will have the option of traveling by car or air, depending on how far the next checkpoint is from their current point. Each team has a time limit to get the Tusker bottle to the next team in the relay; no delays!

The relay Tusker bottle

Unlike the Amazing Race though, participants of Tusker Twende Kazi  are not in it to win any race or money, but to show what a great country and a people we are. The journey is meant to demonstrate the resilience of the Kenyan spirit to achieve whatever it sets out to do; it is a nation-building mission. It is further aimed at bringing East Africans together and igniting the belief that we can do anything, demonstrating that together, we can make a little bit of Kenya go a long way.

We were introduced to the participants in the first episode, with  Team 1 members consisting of Ezekiel Kemboi and Michael Nduati  setting off with the “relay bottle”  to face tasks ahead in a bid to get that bottle to Humphrey Kayange in London. The other 24 teams left in one hour intervals subsequently.

Eric Kiniti, the Corporate Affairs Director had this to say about the show “As we join Kenyans’ in celebrating the 50th anniversary of independence, this show is meant to demonstrate the resilience of the Kenyan spirit to achieve whatever it sets out to do. This show is tailored to reflect Kenya’s coming of age.”

Below, some of the teams seek help from strangers along their journey…

Don’t forget to catch your favorite teams as they traverse two continents to accomplish their task. The show airs every Sunday from 8pm, on Citizen TV hosted by Channel O VJ, radio and TV personality Joey Muthengi. It also broadcasts across East Africa.

Tusker, “My beer, My country!!”