The Kenya Film Commission has assured Sanaipei Tande that she will receive her award money for her win at the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards.
The sensational actress who doubles up as a singer and karaoke host had taken to Twitter to call out the Commission and Arts Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
The Kalasha Awards ceremony took place on December 3, 2022, awarding a trophy and a prize of Sh200,000 to the winners in each of the 39 categories.
Ms Tande scooped the award for Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama (Kina). Initially, winners were expected to receive a minimum prize of Sh.100,000 each, in line with previous award amounts.
CS Ababu Promised To Double Kalasha Award Cash
However, during the event, CS Ababu announced a commitment to double the prize money.
A year after the 12th edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, the winners are still awaiting the Sh200,000 prize money they were promised.
On Twitter, Sanaipei posted: “1 year later no prize money and no communication on the same from @kenyafilmcomm @KalashaKenya or @AbabuNamwamba but 167M set aside for #KNT renovations in bids to develop and nurture NEW talent! What of the existing talent?” 
Under her tweet, Kenya Film Commission CEO Timothy Odhiambo Owase acknowledged Sana’s concerns and said they are reviewing the payment process.
“We @kenyafilmcomm acknowledge your concern and wish to assure winners that we are actively reviewing our payout process and commit to our brand promise, as we appreciate your patience and commitment to excellence in our shared community,” he wrote.
Mr Owase also noted: “We are deliberately championing talent monetization under Talanta Hela initiative. We are keeping up to our mission of developing a vibrant and sustainable local film industry and position Kenya as a preferred filming destination for wealth and job creation.”
The KFC introduced the awarding scheme during the 9th edition of the Kalasha Awards in 2019, with a total prize money allocation of Sh1.7 million. In that edition, each winner received Sh50,000.
The prize money was doubled in the next edition, leading to a total distribution of Sh3 million.
