Speaking on Clean the Airwaves on 21st January 2025, she shared how the idea for TPF initially left her bosses in shock.
Patricia proposed an ambitious plan—to spend Ksh. 100 million in just three months to execute a project that would revolutionize the entertainment scene.
Turning around the scandals facing the industry at the time was no easy task, but Patricia took it head-on.
“That was actually the biggest challenge, more than anything else,” she said. “I had been doing marketing for very lovable products, and now I had to switch to a brewery. One of the biggest tasks was driving a responsible drinking agenda.”
Determined to change perceptions, Patricia spearheaded the self-regulation of the industry while simultaneously bringing Tusker Project Fame to life.
“At the time, TPF was my last project as a marketing director before I transitioned to General Management. The board gave me one challenge—to make Tusker the number one beer,” she recalled.
The big question was how to make the brand iconic. Reality TV was booming with shows like Big Brother and Idols, and Patricia saw an opportunity.
“I met with the key players behind these shows and told them, ‘We want to create a property.’ We needed to find ways to showcase who the brand is, what it stands for, its values, and its impact,” she explained.
Patricia had a clear vision—to discover and nurture the next big star in music.
“I was very clear about it. The future was going to be music. Why couldn’t we create a music industry? Why couldn’t we build everything around it?”
She assembled a team, working closely with DJ Mike Rabar and videographers. Although she was advised to bring in a South African production team, she agreed only on one condition—there would be Kenyan understudies.
“In the second phase, if this is successful, I want us to replace the foreign crew with local talent. Eventually, only the supervisor might be foreign, but everyone else—shooting, producing, editing—must be Kenyan. And that’s exactly what happened.”
The scale of the project was massive, and Patricia had to make a bold pitch to the Group CEO.
“I remember going to him and saying, ‘You asked me for a challenge, and this is it.’”
When she revealed the budget, the board was stunned.
“We are going to spend Ksh. 100 million,” she announced confidently.
Their reaction was immediate.
“They didn’t burst a gasket—but you can imagine their shock. They asked, ‘Maybe for a year?’ and I said, ‘No, no—three months.’ The cost was justified by the incredible scale of the production.”
But did the project make an impact? Patricia believes it did—far beyond what many imagined.
“People underestimate what a show like that did to the industry,” she said. “It helped train so many people in the different arts—video shooting, sound, editing, lighting.”
Through Tusker Project Fame, Patricia Ithau not only elevated a brand but also built a legacy that transformed Kenya’s music and entertainment industry.
by MAUREEN WARUINGE
