The Government is investing in the development of Kenya’s creative economy to expand opportunities for talented youth, President William Ruto has said.

To unleash a creative revolution in the country, President Ruto pledged to promote the expansion of galleries for Kenyan art and craft locally and abroad, establish a Film Fund and create incentives to boost local filmmaking.

He said the government will also enforce intellectual property rights and take advantage of the digital economy to enhance incomes.

“Our highly talented youth are capable of creative excellence in such diverse fields as music, theatre and drama, graphic design and digital animation, fashion and craft, as well as new and emerging fields like virtual and augmented reality,” he said.

He made the remarks during the National Drama and Film Festival Winners’ State Concert, Sagana State Lodge, Nyeri County.

President Ruto said the government has signed agreements with Google, META/Facebook and TikTok to commercialise and monetise content produced by talented youth in Kenya.

“Our creatives in pageantry and fashion have not been left behind either, with global pageants like the iconic Miss Universe headed to Kenya,” he added.

The President said the government rolled out the Talanta Hela Initiative to enhance monetisation of talents in the country.

“Through Talanta Hela, we have a framework for identifying, nurturing and monetising talents in a bottom-up manner. Plans are underway to spread this to other creatives,” he said.

He said the government has secured partnerships with international institutions to transform the creative space into a mega industry with the capacity to employ millions of young people and support sustainable livelihoods.