Kenyan youth in the creative sector have been challenged to exploit their talents and creativity for income-generating opportunities.
In a keynote address during a webinar organized by Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) to discuss the role of the creative sector in building the digital economy, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Mr Joe Mucheru noted that many countries have leveraged on the creative sector to create job opportunities and boost their economies.
The CS said it was time for youthful creatives to be at the forefront by fully utilising their talents in the sector to earn a living and to spur Kenya’s digital economy.
“Kenya’s creative sector is a vibrant one, brimming with talent and great possibility, especially when looked at through the opportunities it affords to our youthful population. I urge more youths in Kenya to take it upon themselves to utilize the available opportunities in the creative sector to create employment for themselves and eventually contribute to our economy,” he said.
CS Mucheru noted that the government through his Ministry is currently implementing several projects under the Ajira Digital Program to support the creative sector in the country.
“We are currently implementing several programs to support our efforts in this area. Through the Studio Mashinani project which is a key component of the Ajira Digital Program, we are supporting our youth in the creative industry by providing them with quality audio production facilities to record their creative arts even with limited financial resources.”
“We do this because we are well aware of the challenges many of them face when it comes to accessing production equipment. We also established over 300 Constituency Innovation Hubs (CIHs) where the youth are trained on online jobs through the Ajira Digital platform,” added the CS.
His sentiments were echoed by Kenya Film Commission CEO Timothy Owase who said the authority is currently in the process of developing a Digital Media City which will comprise TV broadcasting, animation and gaming, filming and photography, and ICT programming.
The project, he said, will support the country’s creative sector by providing a digital media and entertainment ecosystem for research, training, propagation of new technologies, innovation and production of content.
“The digital economy is here to stay and we must therefore be prepared to leverage on it as a country and avoid being left behind because the creative sector no doubt plays a huge role in this digital economy,” he said.
