Kindiki urges creatives to join registered groups to attract funding
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called on creatives to organise themselves into registered groups to better position themselves for government funding and support.
Speaking after meeting over 2,000 musicians, comedians, event MCs, content creators, and other performing artists from Meru, Tharaka Nithi, and Embu counties on August 20, 2025, he stated that the funding will go towards standard user facilities like recording studios, community radios, and television stations.
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Furthermore, he stated that the funding will enable them to continue using their productions to advance positive values and to discourage social vices.
Similarly, Kindiki said the government is committed to dismantling cartels and removing obstacles that have undermined artists’ potential to earn decent livelihoods from their talents.
“The same way we have won over similar cartels undermining our tea, coffee and sugarcane sectors, we will similarly win the war against cartels in the creative industry,” he added.
Additionally, Kindiki highlighted government efforts, including the establishment of the State Department for the Creative Economy, the introduction of a new Creative Economy Support Bill and a new Culture Bill currently before Parliament, and strict enforcement of regulations requiring collective management organisations (CMOs) to remit at least 70 per cent of collected revenue directly to artists.
U.S.-Kenya Creative Economy Forum
His remarks came a few months after the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, emphasised the government’s commitment to positioning Kenya as “a continental and global hub for creative excellence.”
“The creative economy is no longer a fringe sector. It is a pillar of national development, a source of youth employment, and a powerful force for cultural diplomacy,” Mvurya declared during the U.S.-Kenya Creative Economy Forum on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The landmark summit, hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Kenya and the American Chamber of Commerce Kenya (AmCham Kenya), unveiled unprecedented opportunities for bilateral collaboration in film, music, sports and digital content creation.
Marc Dillard, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, highlighted the sector’s exceptional growth potential.
“Kenya’s creative industries already contribute at least five per cent to the country’s GDP. There is every reason to believe that this percentage can grow significantly larger, with the right focus on a creative economy that rewards innovation, talent, brand-building and dynamic business engagement.”
