Push to amend draft Bill to support youth in creative industry

 Parliament Buildings. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Stakeholders are pushing for sweeping amendments to a proposed law seeking to have the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts collaborate with financial institutions to incentivise the creative industry.

The draft Creative Industry Bill 2023, which calls for the creation of a creative industries development fund and formulation of credit facilities for creatives, is undergoing stakeholders’ review at the Kenya School of Government, Nairobi.

Should it become law, the government will be obliged to facilitate access to incubation and accelerator programmes while at the same time, youth in the creative industry seeking credit will not need a guarantor since there will be a guarantee fund in place.

Yesterday, groups led by the Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) presented proposed amendments to the draft Bill, key among them the introduction of a clause compelling the government to offer business opportunities to those in the creative industry.

“While we consider the Bill well-thought, the youth we have interacted with and discussed its contents with have proposed that the ministry sponsoring the Bill considers amending Clause 9 to provide access to creative economy business opportunities within government and facilitate access to creative economy opportunities in foreign countries.”

“This gives room for the government to provide additional employment and business opportunities to the youth in Kenya and to adopt creative works that can improve efficiency in service delivery and citizen engagement,” Shofco said in proposals presented before stakeholders who included the ministry’s Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba. 

The groups argued that the amendments will provide a legal foundation for the government to support youth with exceptional creative works to approach foreign governments, companies and organisations in a structured manner.

Shofco has been championing the interests of the youth, including those in the informal settlements and semi-rural areas. Its key areas include sports, financial access, trainings, job placements, and mental health sessions.

“Under our programmes, youth entrepreneurs will network and develop partnerships to launch their businesses, and all young people will have access to ongoing mentorship to continue on their journey of economic empowerment,” Shofco CEO Kennedy Odede said.

More stakeholders are expected to give views in the coming days.