Why Kenya’s booming creative goldmine still feels like a hustle

“Kenyan creatives cannot walk into a bank and get a loan using their art as security, no matter how famous they are. This is why they live hand to mouth, pay cheque to pay cheque.”

That stark truth, shared by creative business executive Roy Gitahi, sums up a frustrating paradox in Kenya’s creative economy. Despite the sector’s proven cultural and economic value, contributing 5.3 percent to gross domestic product, its contributors continue to be locked out of formal financial systems, policy support, and sustainable growth opportunities.

As digital platforms open up new income streams for content creators, long-standing issues in film, music, and live performance remain unresolved.

From stalled policy frameworks to underwhelming infrastructure and slow implementation of reforms, Kenya’s creatives find themselves navigating a landscape full of promise, but short on delivery.

Wrong policy prescription

When Kenya announced tax incentives for US-based Invention Studios in 2024 to attract Hollywood productions, many local filmmakers had one question: what about us?

Jennifer Ochieng, a film publicist and founder of Sinema Focus, calls Kenya’s film and theatre ecosystem “under-explored and under-leveraged.” According to a 2023 report by the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the industry generated Sh86.9 billion in value, yet still lacks the basic infrastructure and policy support to scale.

“Incentives for local producers would have a far greater impact,” she says, adding “South Africa is a model of how tax policy can unlock a whole film economy,” Ms Ochieng argues.

She adds that constant Cabinet reshuffles and unclear policy direction have made it difficult for any momentum to stick. The ministry mandated to create an environment to nurture the creative sector has had three Cabinet Secretaries in as many years, each pursuing different priorities.

Unfulfilled promises

Several stakeholders point to initiatives that began with promise but faded with time. The Creative Economy Taskforce, which was set up to formalise the industry, build capacity, and advise on financial inclusion, was replaced by Talanta Hela, a new government initiative whose celebrity-filled panel drew more scepticism than hope.

“Talanta Hela is filled with famous faces, but few understand finance or policy. How will they solve access-to-credit challenges or structure investment support?” Mr Gitahi asks.

At the heart of the problem, he says, is the informality that has defined the creative economy for decades.

“Financial institutions don’t deal with individuals, they deal with structured entities. Most creatives work solo and are not part of cooperatives or legally recognised ventures. That’s why they remain invisible to banks and investors.”

The digital wins

While traditional sectors lag, content creators are celebrating hard-won progress in digital monetisation. Platforms like Meta and TikTok have opened their earning models to Kenyan users, something that wouldn’t have happened without coordinated lobbying.

Eddie Butita, a comedian and content producer, credits recent high-level government engagement for these breakthroughs.

“All those US-Kenya Creative Forums you’ve seen? They brought Meta and Google to the table,” he says. “Before that, monetisation was a pipe dream.”

Read: Here’s why Kenyan creatives struggle to earn on Facebook, Instagram

Tech creator Roy Kanyi agrees. “When the president started publicly backing digital content creation, even our parents took us seriously. Now I employ a manager and an editor, all paid through my content.”

But while digital strides are real, creators say the rollout has been slow, uneven, and unsupported by wider infrastructure.

“We still don’t have a state-of-the-art indoor venue in Nairobi where we can stage large-scale shows. Content needs more than just likes and views; it needs space,” says Mr Kanyi.

A royalty system that hurts

Musicians have long called for reforms in royalty collection. One of the most frustrating examples is the Skiza Tunes platform, which generates significant revenues for artistes — but only after deductions by third-party middlemen like collective management organisations (CMOs) and aggregators.

Entertainment lawyer David Katee says the law already mandates that royalties be paid directly to artistes, but implementation has stalled.

“Telcos like Safaricom are supposed to pay artistes directly under the amended Copyright Act,” Mr Katee explains. “But middlemen still dominate, taking huge administrative fees. The result? Artistes get the smallest slice.”

The government, he adds, could fix this with a single directive, especially considering it is the largest shareholder in the telecom.

Building trust

Despite frustrations, there is consensus on one thing: Kenya’s creative sector is bursting with talent, and the economic potential is enormous. The challenge lies in building trust through fair regulation, access to capital, and infrastructure that supports ambition.

“We can produce $1 million movies in Kenya. We have the talent. But logistics, licensing, and equipment costs kill us,” says Mr Gitahi. “This is why we lose out on big productions to South Africa or Rwanda.”

Even Butita, who’s been among the most optimistic about recent shifts, says the country needs a deep, honest conversation about valuing local content.

“Why does screening foreign movies in Kenyan cinemas cost Sh800 per seat, but screening a local film costs Sh1,000, forcing me to charge customers between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000. Why are we given a raw deal?”

Kenya’s creative economy isn’t short on talent, drive, or ideas. It’s short on alignment — between those who create, those who regulate, and those who fund. Mr Gitahi says that until creatives can walk into a bank and be taken seriously or showcase their work in state-of-the-art venues without breaking the bank, the sector will remain rich in potential but poor in delivery.

→ [email protected]