‘Voice of State’ (2026) Movie Review - Bringing Kenya’s 1982 Coup Back to Life

For the longest time, we have seen so many coups around the world. But very few of us might have known about an attempted coup that took place in Kenya in the year 1982. The Voice of State shows us the events that took place. For those of you who aren't aware, here is what happened: a coup was attempted to overthrow the then-President Daniel arap Moi, which was led by Air Force private Hezekiah Ochuka. Broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela, who was an already established radio jockey because of the Voice of Kenya, was picked up at midnight from his house to make this announcement. Terrified yet showing utmost calm in a situation like this, Leonard Mambo Mbotela made the announcement that the president had been overthrown. Soon enough, the situation was put under control by the intervention of GSU and Police led by Major General Mahamoud Mohamed, with Leonard Mambo Mbotela announcing the same.

What I liked the most about Voice of State was how the makers followed the proper chronology of events when covering a historic event like this. The entire coup traces its origin to the death of the former president. Instead of jumping straight to the narrative, they let the story build itself instead of jumping to the main event on which the movie is based. That is crucial for an international audience who might not know what events led to the coup.

With the help of real archived footage and newspaper clippings, an atmosphere of urgency is created that takes us back to the year 1982 and how the political landscape of Kenya looked. This gives us a fair idea of the government functionary. Daniel arap Moi's rise is not just treated as a historical background on which the film is based, but is treated as a character in itself on which the whole plot is based. We are also shown the real-life images of all the people who were associated with the coup, making Voice of State a very realistic watch. The clothing and the picturisation- everything takes us back in time. So in terms of production design, the movie shows that the makers did indeed put in a lot of effort in taking us back in time.

The pacing of Voice of State is also brisk, and mind you, while you watch it, not even once will you feel that you aren't given enough time to get a grasp of the information. So much of history is shown, yet the pacing is not compromised even a little bit. By the time the movie comes to an end, you will be left satisfied.

To me, it was remarkable to see how much effort director and writer James Ongige has put into the movie. His cast does an amazing job in bringing history to life. Doing so, both for the cast and the director, isn't easy. Yet they did it. There has also been a systematic execution when it comes to writing, again the credit for which goes to James Ongige. So dear readers, Voice of State is a plot that you should watch in order to know and understand more about Kenyan history.

Final Score- [9/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times