This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
On August 3, 2020, the Kenyan government announced plans to support the creative economy, which has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Deputy Director of Enterprise Development in the Ministry of Trade and Industry Boniface Wafula, the government will pool additional resources to help the creative economy tide over the pandemic.
Wafula noted that the creative sector contributes nearly 5.5 per cent to Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP), employing millions of youth.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for the government to come up with funding interventions to cushion the creative industry from disruptions," Wafula said.
Executive director of Kenya Copyright Board Edward Sigei added that youth-led startups in the creative sector will benefit from Covid-19 recovery funds.
"Our priority is to ensure that artists are cushioned from the Covid-19 crisis by providing them stimulus funds and linking them with the online marketplace," Sigei said.
