Aasai

The government has announced that it will provide financial assistance to digital content creators. The State Department for ICT Permanent Secretary Eng. John Tanui said the move is aimed at enabling content creators to grow their businesses. “We are also going to engage our colleagues in other Ministries to ensure that young people can access the funding they may need. 

We are also working with partners to see how we can secure additional funds and also grants that can help grow the sector,” Eng. Tanui said. He announced that the government has also partnered with Facebook to ensure that content creators earn income from their work. “We are very pleased with even the partnership we have with META. We have been able to unlock some funds to continue building the sector and even enable other players to come and make their additional contribution. 

The government is committed to supporting content creators,” the Permanent Secretary said. Eng. Tanui said that the government continues to invest in partnerships with digital platform providers such as META to open up access to infrastructure through digital hubs being built across the country. The Secretary-General made the remarks earlier today when he held a meeting with over 40 digital content creators at his office in Nairobi.

 He said that through a partnership with the South Korean government, Kenya is setting up a major digital media hub through the digital media festival centre at KONZA. Speaking at the same event, Diana Yegon, a content creator, praised the government’s efforts in monetising digital content, saying it has created jobs for them. “As creators of this country, for the first time we are being valued, our efforts are being seen because for too long, content creators have been taken for granted. 

Our work has been taken for granted and finally it pays off and that is what content creation pays for”, she said. Ms Diana added “You don’t have to go to work or report to an office. This is a full-time job and this is just to thank the government for giving us this opportunity and to our president for you know how to communicate and build relationships with META and now as Kenyans, we are happy as content creators now have a full-time job”. Tanui meanwhile said the government is supporting innovative businesses by building digital hubs across the country.

 "The construction of quality hubs that are of the largest size of digital hubs is ongoing in every county and we are also collaborating with Members of Parliament to ensure that every ward across the country has a digital hub," the Permanent Secretary said. He said the digital hubs are platforms that will help rural youth find places where they can access the internet, equipment, computers and training.