Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) a State Corporation established under the Film and Stage Plays Act Cap 222 to regulate film and broadcast content at the creation, broadcast, distribution, exhibition and possession levels by imposing age restrictions in order to promote national values and culture, as well as to protect children from exposure to harmful content, has been very keen on policy compliance by its customers.
Last year the KFCB Boss Ezekiel Mutua slapped the public with new charges that have seen content creators pay a fine of Ksh100,000 for posting their video to platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram without a license.
While it costs Ksh15,000 to acquire a license for a full-length feature film with a running time longer than 40 minutes, to register as a film agent, costs Ksh12,000 for a one-year license. For a documentary, drama or feature film shorter than 40 minutes, one pays Ksh 5,000 to be granted a license with Ksh1,000 per day as filming fees for any production meant for public exhibition.
The official launch of East Africa’s Got Talent, a franchise of “Got Talent” founded in 2014 which is an open platform to showcase and market artistic works of singers, dancers, instrumentalists, magicians, comedians and martial artist among other for a chance to be crowned the most talented East African, saw Ezekiel Mutua fall for talent and passion that Kenyan Youths have.
Mutua waivered the licensing fee for East Africa’s Got Talent shoot, and even offered letters to for shoots scheduled locations. He said that looking at the bigger picture, anything offering youths jobs, the government is more than willing to support the project to create more stars in Kenya.
” On behalf of the government and ministry of ICT as part our support to this great platform that is going to create jobs for our youths we are waiving the licensing fee where they will be shooting. We are hoping this platform will create more Lupitas and other stars. We are looking at that in the bigger picture and saying you don’t have to worry about those small issues on fees, give us the plan that will show that you can give jobs to our youths and we are going to support you and when you are going to the counties because we have had challenges with devolution some counties charge a lot of money and we want to give you a letter that will enable you to shoot unless you are using certain facilities in the county where they must be charged. I think generally this is good for the country,” he said.
Together with the Cabinet Secretary Sports Culture & Heritage Amina Mohammed they warmly welcomed the investment into Kenya’s creative industry noting that it will provide provides an invaluable platform for artists to express their creativity, earn from their craft & plug into the economy by exploiting talents among the youths.
East Africa’s Got Talent inaugural season of East Africa’s Got Talent TV show which will be shot in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda in partnership with Freemantle SYCO, Tanzanian Media conglomerate Clouds Media and Rapid Blue Productions from South Africa with the Kenyan version being sponsored by telco giant, Safaricom PLC.
