The Creative Economy Bill, 2026 has formally been introduced in the National Assembly. Sponsored by Hon. Dan Wanyama, Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture, the Bill seeks to create a clear legal and institutional framework to support the growth, development and long-term sustainability of Kenya’s creative economy.

Many of us artists and creatives have a well-known habit of treating legal issues, policy discussions and anything involving the government with deep suspicion. We will throw ourselves into rehearsals, shoots, studio sessions, exhibitions or late-night collaborations, yet go out of our way to avoid reading Bills, attending stakeholder forums or engaging with legislation. We are guilty as charged.

The Bill is sponsored by Hon. Dan Wanyama, Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture.

The only consistent interaction with power is often the familiar chorus of blame when things go wrong. Tutam, Wantam, Reject Finance Bill, Justice for so-and-so, and everything in between. That instinct is understandable; bureaucracy can feel distant and frustrating. Yet this particular Bill lands squarely in the space where most Kenyan creatives live and work, and ignoring it would mean missing potential structural changes that could shape funding, training, infrastructure and regulation for years to come.

Hon. Dan Wanyama’s bill’s core purpose is to consolidate the creative sector and clearly define the roles of the institutions that promote, develop and regulate it. If passed, it will establish three key bodies: the Kenya Audio-Visual and Cinema Commission, the Kenya Audio-Visual Regulatory Authority, and the Kenya School of Film and Creative Arts. From the onset, some of us have raised serious concerns that film is just one of the many sub-sectors in the industry. In fact, it should be TV, Film and Digital media. But haidhuru.

Senior officials at the launch of the Cine Hub filmmaking facility at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. Film Industry seems heavily attended to in the new bill, neglecting other important and growing sectors of the Creative Economy.

Critically, it separates promotional functions from regulatory ones. The Commission is intended to drive growth and support, while the Authority focuses on oversight. This division aims to reduce the confusion that has long left many practitioners unsure where to turn for help versus where rules are enforced. As a matter of fact, we go to the only available institutions for all functions.

Of particular interest to us artists and creatives at every level is the proposed Creative Industries Development Plan. This strategic framework is designed to guide the sector’s expansion, with a strong emphasis on skills development through the new Kenya School of Film and Creative Arts. The School is expected to offer structured training that can benefit emerging talent as well as established practitioners looking to sharpen technical or business skills. 

Beyond training, the Bill outlines practical support measures: investment in infrastructure, funding for research and innovation, the creation of creative clusters and hubs across the country, and stronger integration of creative industries into educational institutions and capital markets. These hubs and clusters could provide shared workspaces, equipment and networking opportunities that many independent artists currently struggle to access on their own.

Since this season is great at ‘kutenga’ we have a good one here. To address the perennial challenge of money, the Bill proposes a Creative Industry Development Fund. This fund, together with the active promotion of public-private partnerships, is meant to mobilise investment and channel resources into creative enterprises. The intention is to move beyond sporadic grants or project-based support towards more consistent mechanisms that can help filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, designers, performers and digital creators grow sustainable businesses.

President Ruto during the launch of the now dormant Talanta Hela Fund. The Funding proposal, largely fronted by the then CS Ababu Namwamba, was launched with great pomp and colour, only to die when the CS left the position. We have seen many plans, implementation is the problem.

The proposals are solid- I must say. If these are implemented, it could be a great win for whichever government will be sitting. But it feels like a far cry. If only they can link the sector more deliberately to capital markets and education systems, the proposed legislation also signals an attempt to treat creative work as a serious economic contributor rather than a peripheral cultural activity.

For many of us working creatives and artists, these provisions matter because they touch everyday realities: access to proper training without prohibitive costs, clearer institutional pathways, potential physical spaces for collaboration, and structured funding options. Whether someone is a young content creator in a county town, a mid-career visual artist in Nairobi, or a production professional seeking larger-scale projects, the framework could, if properly implemented, reduce some of the structural barriers that currently limit growth. This is one area that highlights damaging contradictions of county government vs national government policies. Mark you the ink from Governor Sakaja’s pen has not dried on some proposals that seem were proposed in a foreign planet

Ati Sanna at the recent Voices of the Lake festival at Dunga Hill Camp, Kisumu. Cultural festivals and traditional expressions are largely neglected. So is finer forms of art, fashion, modeling and pageantry. New media, digital media and content creation is not getting the weight it deserves as well. [Photo: Dunga Hill Camp].

So my fellow artists and creatives, this Bill has only just been introduced, so its journey is far from over. After First Reading, it is typically committed to the relevant Departmental Committee for detailed scrutiny and public participation. Stakeholders, including artists and creative organisations, will have opportunities to submit views (phew!) 

It then proceeds to Second Reading, where Members debate its overall principles, followed by the Committee of the Whole House stage for clause-by-clause consideration and possible amendments. After the Report Stage and Third Reading, the Bill is voted on. If it concerns county governments it must also pass through the Senate, with a mediation committee resolving any differences between the two Houses.

When they say 3 steps front and 4 steps back- On one front we have high rates for creators and another front, the City’s Governor wants to promote ‘Tiktokers’. One of our challenges is discordant policies and rates between different counties, and also with national Government. It’s a “Gikomba” of sorts, everyone is doing what they feel fits them.

Once both Houses approve it in the same form, the Bill is presented to the President. The President has fourteen days to either assent to it, making it law, or refer it back to Parliament with reservations. Parliament can then amend the Bill to address those concerns or pass it again without amendment by a two-thirds majority, after which the President must assent. At any stage the Bill can be amended, delayed or ultimately rejected if it fails to secure the necessary support.

For Kenya’s creative community, the coming months of scrutiny and public input will be decisive. The conversation is no longer abstract; it is now on the floor of the National Assembly. Let’s ensure that we are strongly part of the law-making process; this affects all of us.