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Govt urged to push TikTok to pay Kenyan creators based on views
25th September, 2026 06:48 AM
The government has been urged to engage TikTok and push for a system that would allow Kenyan creators to earn money based on the views their content attracts.
The call was made by Nairobi County’s Chief Officer for Customer Engagement and Citizen Service, Geoffrey Mosiria, who argued that view-based payments would give creators a more sustainable source of income while allowing the government to tax their earnings.
He added that such a system would enable creators to earn a sustainable monthly income and be taxed based on their earnings, similar to other digital platforms such as Meta.
“My appeal to the government is to engage with TikTok and encourage a system where creators are paid based on views, not only through gifts as is currently the case,” Mosiria said on Friday, September 25,2026.
“This will enable creators to earn a sustainable monthly income and be taxed based on their earnings, just as it happens with other platforms like Meta.”
Mosiria also highlighted the wider role played by social media, saying platforms such as TikTok can be used to support people in need and drive social change.
“I have realised that the power of social media can be used to save lives, transform society, and this is where the TikTok community comes in supporting one of their own or helping someone in need,” he said.
Mosiria on TikTok following
Additionally, Mosiria said he had been analysing the most-followed government officials and government accounts on TikTok.
According to him, the State House TikTok account has 2.1 million followers, while his own account has 3.1 million followers.
“I was analysing the most followed government officials on TikTok, and I noted that the most followed government account is the President’s State House TikTok account, with 2.1 million followers, followed by mine with 3.1 million followers,” he stated.
He used the figures to highlight the growing reach of government officials and public figures on the platform, as well as the potential economic value of the audience they have built.
The push for greater creator monetisation comes as TikTok has stepped up its engagement with Kenyan creators on tax matters.
TikTok on tax information
The appeal comes weeks after TikTok notified Kenyan creators who earn money through the platform that they were required to provide their tax information to comply with Kenya’s tax requirements.
The platform said the information would be used to verify creators’ tax responsibilities and fulfil its payment obligations for payouts. Creators were asked to provide details including their name, email address, country of residence and whether they were Kenyan residents or non-residents.
TikTok said the tax information would apply to payouts from programmes and schemes in which creators participate, as well as future programmes.
“This information allows TikTok and your local tax authorities to verify your tax responsibility and fulfil our payment obligations to you for payouts in TikTok,” the platform said on Sepetember 17,2026.
Mosiria’s proposal would therefore give creators another potential avenue to earn from the large audiences they attract on TikTok, while linking their earnings to a formal tax framework.
