- The Bill seeks to create a Creatives Fund appropriated by Parliament to provide financial assistance to individuals in the creative industry under criteria set by the Cabinet Secretary.
- The Bill also mandates both the county and national governments to create an enabling environment for creatives
Image: SENATE
Kenya’s creative economy is set for a boost following the introduction of a new Senate Bill.
The "Creative Economy Support Bill, 2024," sponsored by Senator Eddy Oketch, seeks to establish a comprehensive support mechanism for individuals and organisations within the creative industry.
“Establish mechanisms for the support of the persons in the creative industry; to enhance the contribution of the creative industry to the economy; to establish the Creatives fund; and for connected purposes,” read part of the Bill.
The Bill also seeks to create a Creatives Fund appropriated by Parliament to provide financial assistance to individuals in the creative industry under criteria set by the Cabinet Secretary.
“The Board shall issue out of the Fund monies in the form of grants to persons in the creative industry in accordance with a criteria determined by the Cabinet Secretary by Regulations,” the Bill states.
The Bill further proposes the creation of a Creative Industry Guild.
The guild will be tasked with promoting and safeguarding the interests of creative artists by conducting labour market surveys, protecting intellectual property rights, and facilitating the distribution of royalties.
“The Guild shall, in collaboration with the respective county executive committee members responsible for matters relating to trade, put in place measures to support the establishment and subsidise the formalisation of creatives,” the Bill reads in part.
The Bill also mandates both the county and national governments to create an enabling environment for creatives by formulating policies, investing in infrastructure, and promoting entrepreneurial skills through programmes offered in institutions of higher learning.
The Bill further proposes that the Cabinet Secretary for Education ensures that the curriculum developed under the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development includes subjects relating to the creative industry.
Senator Oketch emphasized the Bill's potential to transform the creative sector stating that the Creative Economy Support Bill recognises the role of creativity in economic development both at the national and county government.
“Citizens working in the creative industry contribute to the gross domestic product by creating employment opportunities, paying taxes as a result of the activities they are involved in,” he noted
“This Bill proposes to make systemic interventions to ensure adequate support to persons in the creative industry including proposing the formation of a Guild to champion the rights and welfare of creatives,” he added.