When I first joined LightBox almost three years ago that was by then housed at Pawa254. We had a project which happened to be one of my first, to shoot a music video. Sheria by Sarabi and Juliani.
At around 7am we arrived on location in Makongeni estate for the shoot. It had rained the previous night but despite the rain both cast and crew were determined to make sure that the shoot went on according to plan. Among the crew was James R. Quest who we ended up talking during the production.
James Quest as we popularly knew him is no more. He died today from a hit and run accident along Waiyaki way.
Yesterday, at around 5pm I said hi to him. We had not seen each other since the year started. He and my colleagues had come from a reconnaissance of a music video that we are to shoot over this weekend.
Before meeting yesterday the last time we saw each other was during our end year party that he joined us. He did not forget his shiny silver red bike that roared upper hill roads.
Quest was indeed full of life. Many times he called and said “baba mbona uko na stress nataka uenjoy life” this was a time when my mum had undergone surgery so I was abit stressed. He made sure everyone around him had a good time and uniquely enjoyed themselves. I can’t forget when he led a team of almost a hundred people to Coast courtesy of Jambo jet. He was the “captain”.
We did many projects together some of those took us across Kenya and South Africa When in Kenya, he was never afraid of standing up against what he felt ailed the society. Regrettably, the last project he did was during 48 hour film project, “Dare or Die”. This year as you went home many of us knew we were to have met today in the morning for a shoot that you were to be the cinematographer. This meeting never took place.
I remember last year he said that he is this world to make more people enjoy themselves and not worry so much about the future that they forget living presently.
You will be missed by your family, fellow bikers, friends and colleagues.
Kenneth Jura 