Why we must take the creative industry seriously

Artists rehearse in a makeshift theatre at Lake View Estate in Nakuru.  Despite being listed among UNESCO’s Creative Cities, Nakuru lacks a single functioning cinema hall. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

What is ailing the creative industry in Kenya? This is the question I had to confront last weekend while facilitating a writers’ training. The training was held at a deeply symbolic site, the 7th August Memorial Park in Nairobi. It was organized by the Writers Guild of Kenya.

We gathered at this solemn ground where, in 1998, terror shook our nation to its core. The debris of that attack is now a place of reflection and resolve. Kenya rose from that devastation with scars, yes, but also with strength. Standing there among passionate creatives, I was struck by this parallel: just as we rose from the ashes of violence, we must now rise from the cultural and economic apathy that stifles our creative industry.