Comedian Eric Omondi opened up about an awkward early career moment that left him embarrassed in front of a live audience. Speaking on the Mic Cheque Podcast on Sunday, November 30, 2025, Eric recounted a mix-up with his late brother, fellow comedian Fred Omondi, during a performance at Nyeri Technical College.
Eric explained that he had a signature joke about how different Kenyan tribes dance, a crowd favourite that audiences often requested at every show. “There used to be a joke I always performed during my stand-up shows about how different tribes dance. People loved it so much that whenever I went somewhere to perform, they would call me out if I didn’t deliver that joke,” he said.
On that day, Fred performed first, as he usually did, while Eric waited in the car. Unbeknownst to Eric, Fred delivered the exact same 10-minute joke he had prepared, word for word. When Eric walked on stage and launched into the bit, he was met with silence and confused looks from the audience.
“When I was ushered in and started performing, I was confused because the audience wasn’t laughing, they were giving me very weird looks. That’s when I realised Fred had already told the joke,” Eric said. The mix-up left him humiliated, as the hall was packed and the audience clearly expected new material.
Fred quickly returned to the stage and addressed the mistake, explaining to the audience that he had already performed the joke. His quick thinking allowed Eric to recover and turn the situation into a humorous exchange, salvaging the performance.
“When he noticed my embarrassment, he came back on stage and explained that he had delivered the joke in a comedic way that the audience didn’t fully understand, effectively saving me. I managed to turn the situation into a joke during the show, but it was still very embarrassing,” Eric said.
Following the incident, the brothers agreed to keep their material separate to prevent similar occurrences in future performances. “After that incident, we made a rule that my material is mine and his is his, so something like that wouldn’t happen again,” he added.
Fred Omondi, a well-known comedian in Kenya’s live comedy circuit, passed away in June 2024. Eric’s recollection of this story highlights not only the challenges of performing live but also the bond and camaraderie that existed between the two brothers on stage.
