Kenyan content creators will be eligible for loans and financial assistance if the Creative Industries Bill, 2023, is passed into law.
The Bill which is currently undergoing public participation states that an innovator within the creative industries shall be entitled to access financial assistance under certain conditions.
The money will be drawn from the fund established under the Science, Technology and Innovation Act, 2013.
Instructively, the Bill describes Creative Industry as sectors that rely on the creation, production, distribution, and exploitation of intellectual property.
This includes but is not limited to audiovisual arts, performing arts, visual arts, design and literary arts.
“An eligibility for financial assistance accorded to a person advancing projects aimed at resolving specific challenges within the creative industries through appropriate scientific and technological interventions,” the government stated the first condition.
On the second condition, content creators seeking financial support must seek to expedite the adoption and commercialisation of innovations developed within the creative industries.
Additionally, the State Department for Youth Affairs and Arts will establish a Creative Voucher System to provide financial support, aid and incentives to various groups working in the creative industry.
The voucher will specifically target Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within the creative industry.
“The Creative Voucher System shall provide vouchers addressing the industry’s diverse needs, including training, equipment, and marketing,” the Bill expounds.
To sustain the program, the government will be seeking partnerships with private and international bodies.
President William Ruto has earmarked empowering content creators as one of the ways to create job opportunities for the youth.
On Thursday, August 24, President Ruto met TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew to explore ways in which Kenyan digital creators can earn from the platform.
Additionally, on December 12, the President noted that he had struck a monetisation deal with META to allow Kenyan creatives to earn from their craft.
"This administration has taken deliberate steps to invest in the creative industry,” President Ruto remarked while announcing the META deal.
