Govt Hints Going After TV Stations Showing Foreign Soap Operas

Digital strategist, Dennis Itumbi has hinted at President William Ruto's government subjecting TV stations culpable of showing soap operas from other countries every night to heavy taxes.

Speaking on Friday, September 29 during the State Of Film Industry Summit 2023 at the Nairobi Film Center in the Central Business District (CBD), Itumbi accused Kenyan TV stations of airing episodes of foreign soap operas downloaded over the internet which go unnoticed by tax monitors in the country.

He believed that the TV stations were paying more attention to the foreign soap operas and turning a blind eye to locally-produced content, some of which has been picked up by continental TV service providers.

To raise funds to propel Kenya's film industry, Itumbi warned that TV stations that will be found airing international soap operas will be subjected to heavy taxes, which may force them to begin showing local shows.

Dennis Itumbi speaking during the State Of The Film Industry in Kenya summit on September 29, 2023. /KRISTABEL KISANG

"Most of our TV stations show soap operas and those ones are not subject to tax because they come in a flash disk and they start airing.

"Part of the sources of the money for the Film Fund will be some heavy taxation on anyone showing telenovela so as to encourage them to take local productions," Itumbi cautioned.

The ally of President Ruto though noted in his warning shot to foreign telenovelas that implementing the process will be a tall order in a bid to give more prominence to local content.

"Telenovela you have been escaping from tax for a long time, we are coming for you. It will not be easy and it will be 50-50 for that cause, or even higher than 50 per cent because we have those local programmes here, why not pick them," he continued.

Telenovelas including Mexican soap operas have been hugely popular among Kenyans over the years, some of which have also aided in the propelling of numbers by TV stations upwards, among them Citizen TV.

Famous shows that immediately come to Kenyans' minds when it comes to foreign soap operas include Storm Over Paradise, In The Name of Love, Secreto de Amor, among others.

Current editions are considered a favourite for women, but years ago, one would find men discussing them in matatus regarding an aired episode, some even setting aside their bottles of beer in bars to pay attention to the soap operas.

Citizen TV and KTN specialised in selecting good soap operas and they even got the actresses all the way from South America to make intros for the shows.

However, a new wave has seen Swahili telenovelas like Sumu la Penzi, Saida, Nira, Maza, Aziza, and Selina among others overtake the Mexican counterparts in terms of popularity, some even taking the 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm time slots that were primarily accustomed to the foreign soap operas.

Upcoming Swahili telenovelas, Zari and Ka-Siri, which were launched officially on Monday, September 18, will premiere on Monday, October 23 and will air every Monday to Friday at 8.30 p.m. and every Monday to Wednesday at 19:30 EAT from Monday, October 9, 2023, on both DSTV and GOTV.