Biography of Kenneth Okonkwo

Kenneth Okonkwo is a popular Nigerian actor, lawyer and politician. He’s one of the pioneers of the Nigerian movie industry. The veteran actor rose to prominence with his lead role as Andy in the 1992 classic, ‘Living in Bondage’. With a spanning 27 years acting career, Kenneth Okonkwo has indeed prove that he’s relevant in Nollywood.

Early life and background of Kenneth Okonkwo

Kenneth Okonkwo was born on the 6th of November, 1968 in Nsukka, Enugu State. He attended Union Primary School and St. Theresa College, Nsukka for his primary and secondary education. He went ahead to obtain a degree in Business Management from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Being an education enthusiast, he proceeded to obtain his LLB and Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos. He also earned a doctorate from Chartered Institute of Economics. Kenneth also studied Theology from the Nigerian Bible School.

Kenneth Okonkwo

His Acting Career

Acting has always been an innate ability for Kenneth; he never thought of an acting career till he was 23 years old. He made his acting debut in Ripples before featuring in Living in Bondage which brought him to limelight. This movie birthed the Nigerian movie industry -Nollywood which has gone on to become the second-biggest movie industry in the world. For his role as Andy in this film, Kenneth Okonkwo won the award for Best Actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).

The prominent actor who is known for his spontaneous acting prowess has starred in over two hundred and fifty movies. In November 2019, he featured in Living in bondage: Breaking Free”, a sequel to one of Nigeria’s most venerated films “Living in bondage”. The movie was critically acclaimed and bagged many awards and nominations.
As a lawyer, he owns his own chamber, Supreme God Chamber.

Kenneth Okonkwo

Kenneth Okonkwo’s Political Career

As a politician, he declared his intention to represent the Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency, on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Platform in the 2014 elections. Kenneth also expressed his desire to run for the governorship of Enugu state in 2019 election. He announced that he was going to contest on the platform of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party. The reason behind his political ambition is to place Nollywood on a pedestal. Winning the election would have make him one of Nollywood actors in politics.

Kenneth Okonkwo’s Relationship and Family Life 

The star-studded actor is married to his lovely wife Ifeoma. Their union is blessed with a son. Kenneth was once married to Ogechi Ezekiel, daughter of Pastor Ezekiel who is the General Overseer of Christian Pentecostal Mission International. Their marriage lasted for two years before they got divorced in 2002; their union was blessed with a son. The divorce shook the public.  However, he had a second chance at love when he met and got married to Ijeoma. They had their first child in 2016, 9 years after their wedding. Kenneth has proven to be a faithful husband.

Kenneth Okonkwo

Awards and Nominations

Best Actor (Africa Movie Academy Awards)

Most Prominent Actor in Nigeria at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards

Best Actor in a Leading Role at the City People Entertainment Awards and more.

In 2013 he won the African Movie Academy Award on a Special Recognition of Pillars of Nollywood.

In 2015 he was given a special recognition award by the organisers of the City People Entertainment Awards for his contribution to the growth of entertainment in Nigeria.

Kenneth Okonkwo’s Net Worth

Kenneth Okonkwo is regarded as one of the richest and most influential actors in Nollywood. He has an impressive net worth of $5 million dollars.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *