Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Sunday, May 7, came to the aid of three photographers who were arrested in the Central Business District (CBD) for operating without business permits.
In a statement, the governor affirmed that he sought the release of the trio and reiterated his stance for freelance photographers being exempted from paying their business permits.
"I have asked for their release. Photographers and filmmakers are allowed to film with ease and not harassed. County officers get it. We’re working with the police to be similarly aligned on it," Sakaja stated.
The governor's intervention ensued after activist Boniface Mwangi highlighted the issue and called for Sakaja's intervention on behalf of the freelance photographers.
"The three creatives were arrested in the CBD for 'unauthorised photography' and when they informed the police, Sakaja said it's allowed, the police added another charge, 'incitement.' They are currently being held at Central Police Station," Mwangi noted.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino also opined that the three youth ought to be granted an opportunity to operate freely without any form of harassment.
"They should be given an opportunity to earn a living. Police must stop unlawful arrests," he pointed out.
Sakaja, on September 23, 2022, directed that freelance photographers and filmmakers be granted a waiver on business permits.
He noted that the directive would abolish the archaic laws that hampered the creative space in general.
“When we say we want to be pro-business, it is not just passive to stop harassment of traders but we want to be proactive to facilitate and promote.
"There are many archaic laws including those that hamper creativity and innovation and we are going to weed those out,” he stated at the time.
Initially, persons within the creative industry were required to obtain permits from the Department of Filming Services, through a filming agent and a letter from the police, and they would end up paying over Ksh5,000 for a particular day.
