The government plans to review the Copyright Act to protect creators from piracy and intellectual property theft.
Principal Secretary - State Department for Youth Affairs & Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs said the government will introduce a Creative Economy Bill, which aims at protecting originality and promoting the intellectual property rights of Kenyan artists.
The bill is expected to complement the existing copyright framework by targeting the unique challenges within the creative and arts industries.
“The bill is ready and is now headed for public participation. We realised there was a similar private member bill by Senator Eddy Oketch from Migori. We are now working to harmonize both documents into a single, unified, and effective piece of legislation,” Said Fikirini.
Among its provisions in the new bill, are better recognition of creators, protection of proprietary ideas, and frameworks for nurturing and mentoring young talent.
Speaking at the announcement of a Sh100million investment into Kenya’s creative sector by Startimes, Kenya Film Commission CEO, Timothy Owase said that the creative sector (Orange Economy), has the ability to create meaningful job opportunities for Kenyan youth.
“The creative industry has a potential of injecting capital into our economy. By investing in talent, we are investing in Kenya’s future. The Next Super Star project is a major step in awakening the Orange Economy, and we at Kenya Film Commission are proud to support such initiatives,” Owase stated.
Owase noted that Kenya’s young people increasingly prefer flexible, creative work environments over traditional 9-to-5 jobs, making the sector a critical part of the government’s employment strategy.
In 2022-2023, the KFC, in partnership with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, conducted the country's first Film Industry Satellite Account.
The findings revealed that the creative sector contributed Sh38 billion to the Exchequer that year. Owase believes the figure could be significantly higher with proper policies, legislative support, and incentives.
StarTimes CEO Jimmy Carter said the company is committed to nurture young talent and support the creative economy.
“We have invested over Sh100 million into the production of this show because we believe in the potential of Kenyan and African youth,” Carter said.
