Mutua leads licensing drive for PSVs airing contents, playing music

KFCB Chairman Ezekiel Mutua (left) converses with matatu operator during the crackdown in Mombasa. [Courtesy)

You will no longer watch unrated and vulgar content in any Public Service Vehicles. This is according to the Kenya Film Classification Board.

Matatu operators who intend to air content and play music will now be required to obtain licences of worth Sh2,000 of every vehicle annually.

“By fitting screens in public service vehicles, matatu operators turn this popular means of transport into cinema theaters and must obtain exhibition licenses from the Board,” read part of a tweet by KFCB.

The board also warned against the non-compliance of the Stage and Films play Act saying it attracts a fine of Sh 100,000.

In a crackdown that began in Sabasaba, Mombasa County, the Board (KFCB) conducted a search on all matatu operators in a bid to end PSVs exhibiting Film content without filming licenses.  

KFCB Chairman Dr Ezekiel Mutua said that matatu operators with mounted screens have to ensure that they only exhibit and display films and content that are suitable for general exhibition. 

“What we are doing first is to ensure that we license the matatu’s as public exhibitors and give the operators the classification guidelines so that the content shared is rated GE”, said Mutua, during the Mombasa operation, on Monday.

This comes barely a week after he warned operators of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) against airing unrated content and playing loud music, announcing that they will have to get their content rated as ‘’General Exhibition’. 

In his tweet, he said: “To make progress as a country we must reconstruct our moral foundation. Media is key to this narrative about the restoration of moral values and that's why as a Board we advocate for clean content in PSVs with screens”.