Actress Risper Faith wants you to see her for who she is – flaws, glam, drama, love and everything in between. The mother of one, who has previously appeared on Nairobi Diaries , a Kenyan reality series, wants to show viewers her most authentic self in Nai-Rich , the new reality series that also features Amber Ray, Phoina and KRG the Don.
"So many people out here are faking lives and sugarcoating everything. If I’ve had beans and black tea for breakfast, there’s no need to log into Pinterest and download pictures of croissants and share that as my breakfast. I want to show viewers that even rich celebrities are just regular people with real problems and real lives," Risper says.
'Nai Rich' cast Risper Faith poses for a photo during the launch of the new reality show on August 30, 2024.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation
1. This is your second time in a reality show in Kenya. That must make you feel very accomplished… Nairobi Diaries , I was young and naive, but now right now, I am more mature when it comes to making decisions. I know what I want and what I am going after. Nai-Rich also had a much bigger budget compared to Nairobi Diaries so they offered more.
I have always wanted to be on a reality show. Initially, I hoped to join The Real Housewives of Nairobi, but that did not work out. I am happy I ended up with something even better. Sometimes you watch these Kenyan reality shows and think, ‘I belong there, I need to be part of that.’
When the producers of the show approached me, I was to play the role of a wife, but later they said they felt I was a better fit as a businesswoman than a wife.
We started filming Nai-Rich in December 2023. It has been almost a year of hard work and sleepless nights, but now that the show is on TV, I feel like it was all worth it.
2. Are we going to see your husband and child in the show?
I want my son to grow up without that pressure and make his own decisions about social media when he is older. I don’t want him to feel like he has to be part of that world. You know how we are always looking forward to posting our lives online…I don't want my child to look up to such. I want him to enjoy his childhood.
3. Why do you keep taking breaks from social media?
As his children, we are going to keep his name alive. We are going to make sure the Manyonge name will remain forever. My dad was a professor at Maseno University at the School of Mathematics Statistics and Actuarial Science and people loved him very much. I sometimes take breaks on social media to restrategise. I hate being monotonous, that is why my rate card keeps going up.
4. How have you maintained your brand for over a decade?
I also do not keep the same friends I had a decade ago. I don’t have beef with them but like I told you, it's all about growth. Having been there for a while, I know when to step back. Social media has a lot of pressure. Bullies will make you do things and if you are not careful, you will end up messing.
I keep enhancing my body and it's too much work. I have done several procedures, including liposuction and gastric sleeve. The first liposuction was good, but I could not stay away from junk food and I went back to adding weight. I recently did another body transformation procedure to lose weight because I care a bit too much about what fans say about my body.
5. Talk to us about losing friends and how motherhood has contributed to that...
I am also more responsible for how I spend my money, especially bearing in mind the needs of my baby. I no longer see myself as part of any industry trend since I am too busy to follow who is trending. I focus on living my life and achieving what I have always dreamed of. The only times I am online are when I need my followers to support something.
