Riara University students have released a short film titled Circles, which made its public debut at the university’s Nairobi campus.
The film follows Delilah, a young woman seeking justice after her sister dies by suicide following a sexual assault at a party.
Its release coincided with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
In his remarks, Vice Chancellor Professor Robert Gateru acknowledged the students’ work, encouraging them for a second season of the film.
“I am very proud of your accomplishments. You have done very well. Let’s do a season 2!’’ he said, encouraging students to collaborate across departments on future projects.
Joy Mueni, who heads the department of communication and multimedia journalism, said the film illustrates the university’s media production capabilities and provides students with practical experience in creative-industry skills.
“Circles follows Delilah, a young lady seeking to avenge the death by suicide of her sister, who was raped after her drink was spiked with a drug at a party by her male friends. The conceptualisation and production of this epic piece is also timely as its theme coincides with the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence,” Dr. Mueni said.
Producer Loraine Sagini said the premiere had been a success.
“I am thankful to my parents for allowing us access to their home to be one of the filming locations,” she said, adding that faculty and student actors contributed to bringing the story to life.
Riara University was granted a charter in March 2025, officially accrediting it as a fully recognised higher learning institution in Kenya.
The charter allows the university to award degrees that are recognised nationally, providing students with formally accredited qualifications.
The film’s release now marks one of the first major media projects by Riara University students following the institution’s formal accreditation and reflects a growing interest in practical training for Kenya’s creative sector.
At the moment, Kenya’s creative sector already contributes around 5 per cent of national GDP.
In the film-production sub-sector, the value of output reached approximately KSh 86.9 billion in 2022, generating significant economic activity and employment.