President William Ruto announced that 30 per cent of government advertising would be spent on creative platforms at the 14th Kalasha International Film & TV Market, Festival and Awards ceremony on Saturday evening.
Importantly, Ruto became Kenya’s first Head of State to attend the ceremony. He said the new advertisement policy will scale up investment in Kenya’s creative economy, thus nurturing and supporting youth talent in the film sector.
“I can confirm that the government has the resources and has the support for you and will partner with creatives to tell our story,” he said at the 14th Kalasha International Film and TV Market Festival and Awards at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi.
Present were Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs, and Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Coordination Dennis Itumbi, among others.
Kalasha Awards celebrates and rewards achievers in the film industry. From East and Central Africa, it brought together more than 3,000 delegates, 100 exhibitors, and representation from over 30 countries for the annual festival.
While commending the Kenya Film Commission for organizing the festival, the President also urged them to hold the awards in the counties, saying State House will bid to host next year’s ceremony.
He announced that he had directed the National Treasury to explore ways of giving incentives to international producers so that they can shoot their content in Kenya.
President Ruto disclosed that he will be meeting Panos Panay, president of the Recording Academy, the organization behind the world-acclaimed Grammy Awards, later this month to begin the journey of positioning Kenya for a globally recognized creative platform.
“In that meeting, I will not just be pushing for the African Grammys to come to Nairobi. I will also be advocating a bold, structured pathway that connects our creative products to global commerce,” he said.
He urged Parliament to fast-track the Creative Economy Bill 2026 and strengthen copyright laws to safeguard and fund Kenyan artistes.
To develop infrastructure to support the creative economy, the President directed that all future affordable housing developments must integrate a creative ecosystem in the form of fully equipped audio-visual studios.
“Tonight is a declaration that Kenya is not waiting for the future of global storytelling; we are shaping it. Roll the cameras. Tell the stories. Shape the future. Congratulations to the winners,” he said.
