Kenya has lofty ambitions for its film industry and the contribution it can make to the country’s creative industry, economic growth and development.
According to the Kenya Film Classification Strategic Pan, the country targets issuing at least 4,200 filming licences and registering at least 650 film agents in the five years ending December 2027.
It also targets the set-up of at least 1,450 Village Digital Hubs by 2032 for, among other reasons, production geared towards catalysing the country’s film industry and its contribution to the economy.
This ambition speaks to the much-needed appreciation of the infrastructural and efficiency gaps that the country grapples with in catalysing film production and elevating it to a vital cog in the economy’s engine.
Already, Kenya has shown that it has what it takes to make bold decisions that support this critical industry. In 2009, it removed import duty at 25 percent and Value Added Tax of 16 percent on television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders.
However, as fiscal constraints deepen and the state is stretched thin for hard-to-come-by resources, these gains risk being eroded and the film production industry backpedalling on hard-earned gains.
The Finance Bill 2025 proposal, for instance, threatening to eliminate the 100 percent investment allowance has sent jitters among players that over time, the government could rethink the capital allowance incentive extended to among others, investors in the film production industry.
Kenya could borrow a leaf from India on how to spur the growth of its film industry to scale to heights that accelerate its contribution to the economy and well-being of its citizens.
India’s film, television and streaming industry generated an estimated Sh7.7 trillion ($60.0 billion) worth of economic output. It supported an estimated 2.6 million jobs in 2024, according to a May 2025 report released by the Motion Picture Association, audit firm Deloitte and the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
To put this into perspective, the economic output of India's film, television and streaming industry was equivalent to close to half, 47.5 percent, of the size of Kenya’s economy in 2024.
But it was not always the case and has taken decades of deliberate action and dedicated investment to place India’s film, television and streaming industry on this high pedestal.
Nestled in the heart of India’s commercial hub, Mumbai, lies the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Film City. Popularly known as the Mumbai Film City, it is a 48-year-old complex of multiple scenic audio and visual production locations and forms the nerve centre of the giant that has evolved to be known as Bollywood, India’s vast film industry.
With 521 acres worth of shooting space, 16 high-end studios and 40 ready-to-use natural and man-made production sets, Mumbai Film City has positioned itself for film production at scale for both local and regional content allowing it to harness economies of scale in production that would otherwise be high cost and unbearable for start-up production units.
Beyond the question of production at scale to address cost-related concerns, Kenya can leapfrog giants like India by picking lessons on distribution models that allow the industry to optimise the capacity for monetisation.
“India released almost 200,000 hours of content in 2024. 64 more films were released in 2024 as compared to 2023, taking the total films released in 2023 to over 1,600 excluding around 200 dubbed versions. With less than 500 of over 1,600 films getting a digital release, large volumes of films are lying unmonetized”, audit firm Ernst & Young, states in its March 2025 India Media and Entertainment Report.
Mumbai Film City also extends concessionary production rates for the vulnerable in society, notably targeting women and youth, a move that has proven to widen the reach of film production as an agent for greater inclusivity and income generation amongst the most vulnerable in Indian society.
This is something Kenya can borrow as the government targets unlocking the potential of the most excluded yet talented members of the society who are scouting for avenues for gainful employment.
Away from the Executive, other arms of government can also play a key role in helping Kenya to cement the presence and role of the film industry in the country.
A good case in point from India would be the September 2024 decision by the High Court in New Delhi issuing conservatory orders barring Super Cassettes Industry Ltd from using the title incorporating the word ‘Aashiqui’ for a proposed film.
This decision was arrived at because Vishesh Films holds the registered trademark of ‘Aashiqui’.
“This ruling is significant as it acknowledges the growing commercial significance of film titles in a modern context. With the rise of film franchises and series, film titles serve as a bridge between various film instalments. The Court emphasized the protection for these associations, built through sustained marketing effort and delivery of consistency in quality”, audit firm Ernst & Young.
