The Government is
investing in the development of Kenya’s creative economy to expand
opportunities for talented youth, President William Ruto has said.
To unleash a creative
revolution in the country, President Ruto pledged to promote the expansion of
galleries for Kenyan art and craft locally and abroad, establish a Film Fund
and create incentives to boost local filmmaking.
He said the government
will also enforce intellectual property rights and take advantage of the
digital economy to enhance incomes.
“Our highly talented youth are capable of
creative excellence in such diverse fields as music, theatre and drama, graphic
design and digital animation, fashion and craft, as well as new and emerging
fields like virtual and augmented reality,” he said.
He made the remarks
during the National Drama and Film Festival Winners’ State Concert, Sagana
State Lodge, Nyeri County.
President Ruto said
the government has signed agreements with Google, META/Facebook and TikTok to
commercialise and monetise content produced by talented youth in Kenya.
“Our creatives in pageantry and fashion have
not been left behind either, with global pageants like the iconic Miss Universe
headed to Kenya,” he added.
The President said the
government rolled out the Talanta Hela Initiative to enhance monetisation of
talents in the country.
“Through Talanta Hela, we have a framework for
identifying, nurturing and monetising talents in a bottom-up manner. Plans are
underway to spread this to other creatives,” he said.
He said the government has secured partnerships with
international institutions to transform the creative space into a mega industry
with the capacity to employ millions of young people and support sustainable
livelihoods.
