The fracas involving Akothee and her “immoral” performance during a recent show in Watamu has boiled down to Ezekiel Mutua taking drastic measures in a bid to curb over sexualised content.
According to the ‘morality policeman’, the Kenya Film Classification Board has received complaints from the members of the public on the current wave of over-sexualised content and stage performances in public places.
Mutua says the glamorization of sexual content in the name of creativity on social network sites and in sections of the media runs counter to the provisions of the Films and Stage Plays Act Cap 222.
In a statement on Thursday, the KFCB CEO said the board has examined numerous artistes and performers and found that some of their performances are offensive, unpalatable, inappropriate, and contravene the law.
“The Board is disturbed at the extent to which some famous artistes are going to attract audiences and relevance by exposing their private parts in public, gyrating in obscene ways and failure to uphold common decency in their public performances,” said Mutua.
He said the board has identified measures that will be taken against offenders. They include:
- The Board will not hesitate to ban public performances that dishonor and contravene common decency or those that objectify women.
- Proprietors of public places, clubs, hotels and discotheques will be held responsible for the breach of the Films and Stage Plays Act for performances staged in their premises.
- The Board is collaborating with the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the Police and other relevant state agencies to ensure that legal action is taken against premises that breach the above Law, particularly those admitting children to adult shows.
- Going forward, the Board in collaboration with the bodies mentioned above, shall ensure places where such performances take place are regulated and the shows served with new terms and conditions that we shall be announcing in due course.
- Parents and caregivers found exposing minors to obscene and indecent performances by admitting or tagging them along to such performances shall be in contravention of the Law and will be prosecuted.
Mutua further warned; “artistes and performers using inappropriate and offensive stage names, inappropriate lyrics, nudity or suggestive dancing styles that border on sexual innuendos, particularly in public places will face the full force of the law.”
