We Will See Kenyans In Hollywood- Ruto Now Promises

The collaborations are expected to pave the way for the establishment of the Pan African Recording Academy which will possibly place Kenya as the African headquarters for these influential entities.

Viral Tea Ke Writer Viral Tea Ke Writer
Apr 18, 2024 - 18:07 Updated: Apr 18, 2024 - 18:41
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We Will See Kenyans In Hollywood- Ruto Now Promises
President William Ruto speaking during the Wage Bill conference on April 17, 2024. /PCS

President William Ruto has declared that Kenya is inching close to establishing itself in Hollywood as his administration seeks to bolster efforts to improve the creative sector. 

Speaking at the National Drama and Film Festival Winners' State Concert held at Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County, the Head of State announced that his government forged strategic partnerships with several major global enterprises, including Grammy Global Ventures and Invention Studios.

The collaborations are expected to pave the way for the establishment of the Pan African Recording Academy which will possibly place Kenya as the African headquarters for these influential entities. 

“Shortly, we will see Kenyans participating in Hollywood scripts,” Ruto promised in confidence, underscoring his vision for Kenya's creative talents to gain international acclaim.

President William Ruto, First Lady Rachel Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the National Drama and Film Festival Winners' State Concert held at Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County on April 18, 2024. /PCS

The Government is investing in the development of Kenya’s creative economy to expand opportunities for talented youth.

To unleash a creative revolution in the country, President Ruto also pledged to promote the expansion of galleries for Kenyan art and craft locally and abroad, establish a Film Fund and create incentives to boost local filmmaking.

He said the government will also enforce intellectual property rights and take advantage of the digital economy to enhance incomes.

“Our highly talented youth are capable of creative excellence in such diverse fields as music, theatre and drama, graphic design and digital animation, fashion and craft, as well as new and emerging fields like virtual and augmented reality,” he said.

Furthermore, Ruto announced that Kenya will officially unveil the African Union (AU) Secretariat of the African AudioVisual Cinema Commission (AACC) on May 9, 2024.

This comes after Nairobi signed a Host Country Agreement with AU in February 2023 for the operationalization of the Secretariat established by a Statute approved by the 32nd African Union Assembly held in Ethiopia in February 2019.

The Secretariat will be tasked with promoting the research on African Audio-visual and Cinema industries, distributing African films, establishing the African Audio-visual and Cinema Fund as well as providing technical support to Member States for the formulation and implementation of audio-visual and cinema policies.

“With this unprecedented progress in our creative industry, Kenya has won the race to host the AU Secretariat of the African AudioVisual Cinema Commission. The Ministry will officially unveil this Secretariat on 9th May 2024," said the President.

"To anchor these transformative milestones, I urge them to hasten to the enactment of the Creative Economy Policy and Creative Industry Bill, providing the ultimate anchor for our transformation."

President Ruto also highlighted that the government has signed agreements with Google, META/Facebook and TikTok to commercialise and monetise content produced by talented youth in Kenya.

“Our creatives in pageantry and fashion have not been left behind either, with global pageants like the iconic Miss Universe headed to Kenya,” he added.

The President said the government rolled out the Talanta Hela Initiative to enhance the monetisation of talent in the country.

He said the government has secured partnerships with international institutions to transform the creative space into a mega industry with the capacity to employ millions of young people and support sustainable livelihoods.

"At last year’s State Concert, I made a pledge to lead our nation into a new era of innovation and plug into the power of technology to propel our cultural festivals into the digital age. Today, I am here to fulfil that promise by unveiling a groundbreaking digital platform, developed through collaboration by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Amazon Web Services, and MPESA," he said.

"Through partnerships, we can, and will usher in a new era of transparency and accountability, where every shilling generated reaches the creative talent behind it. Within a few months, the platform will be opened up to independent artists and content creators, ensuring that they too have a marketplace to showcase their talents and receive fair and enhanced compensation for their creative works.”

Participants in traditional clothing during the National Drama Festival Finals on April 16, 2024. /PCS

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