The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Chairperson Njogu wa Njoroge has directed the board to revoke demand letters sent to YouTube content creators directing them to obtain licenses for their content.
In a statement on Friday, May 25 night, Njoroge said content creators should be supported and encouraged by the government and not suppressed.
“Our content creators should be supported all the way. They should be encouraged and supported 100%. We should be training our youth on monetization, and we are deliberate on that matter.
“I have directed the management to withdraw the notices and organize for an engagement with all the stakeholders. We should be talking about thousands of opportunities, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs in the digital media,” Njoroge stated.
Earlier, KFCB acting CEO Paskal Opiyo had written to a number of creatives giving them a 14-day ultimatum to obtain licenses from the board.
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Opiyo also asked the content creators to submit their videos to KFCB for examination and classification before they are shared with the public.
He warned that they would face legal action if they failed to comply with the directives.
“Take notice that unless you comply with the above in the next fourteen (14) days, we shall institute legal proceedings in accordance with the provisions of the Films and Stage Plays Act and other relevant laws, without further reference to you and at your own risks as to costs and other attendant consequences thereto,” Opiyo stated.
The letters from the acting CEO drew mixed reactions from netizens with creatives wondering why KFCB was regulating them before having a stakeholder engagement.
Some of the content creators who received the demand letters were; Oga Obina, Jacky Vike, Abel Mutua, Njugush, YY, and Mulamwah.
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