State now appoints creative economy taskforce

Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage, Amina Mohamed. 

The Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage, Amina Mohamed has constituted a task force to provide strategic guidance and develop strategies. This is in a bid to grow the economy and improve the business operating environment for the creative sector. The task force will be chaired by Charles Wambia from the State Department for Culture and Heritage.

Some of its members are Donald Otoyo (State Department for Culture and Heritage), Christine Mangwana (State Department for Culture and Heritage), Lucas Mwago (State Department for Trade and Enterprise Development) and Harim Gachugi (Business Registration Services).

Others are James Njiru (State Department for ICT and Innovation), Karimi Wandiri (Kenya Conservatoire of Music), Julius Manzi (State Department for Culture and Heritage) and Kizito Wangalwa (Council of Governors).

The team is set to develop a strategy to revitalise the creative economy and facilitate the execution of the recommendations of the report by the financial sector. It will also co-opt experts in particular areas of need, with the major stakeholders including performing arts, motion picture and recording industries. These include music, theatre, art, photography and the gaming industry as well as radio and television. 

This is a major move by the government in its effort to regulate the creative industry, which has for a long time lacked clear policies and guidelines to manage it.

According to a gazette notice dated June 10, the team will serve for four months with effect from the date of publication of the notice.   

Both the government and the creative economy private sector subscribe to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development description that involves an assortment of creative industries; the creation, production, marketing and distribution of products and services resulting from human creativity.

Among the government players captured under this includes the Kenya Film Commission, Kenya Film Corporation, Kenya Film Classification Board, Permanent Presidential Music Commission and the Kenya National Library Services.

Others are artistes’ management bodies such as the Music Copyright Society of Kenya, the Performers Rights Society of Kenya and the Kenya Association of Music Producers.