This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
On a day when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenya is embracing technology to propel the country to industrialisation. President Uhuru Kenyatta's technology agenda is a critical sector that will transform the country, create employment for the youth, and harness their potential.
Speaking at the launch of the Kenya Film Commission Hub at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DEKUT) in Nyeri County, ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru said, “we must create jobs for our young people and opportunities to showcase all of the things they are capable of doing.”
The Kenya Film Commission Hub is a joint venture between DEKUT, the Kenya Film Commission, and other partners to tap the youth's talents in the film industry. Mucheru noted that during this time of the pandemic, tourists are able to see how the country is looking like through the film sector, and the launching of the hub would be of great assistance.
The CS added that the launch of the hub would enable the youth to develop programmes and animations, adding that DEKUT is one of the two institutions in the country with film hubs, the other being Konza city. The facility would also be used in education, with Mucheru saying, “We are able to see that you can use machines in different places and control them remotely to develop products and that is the way we want to go in the fourth industrial revolution.”
He challenged the youths in Nyeri and the country at large to take advantage of the facility and exploit their potential in the film industry. The electronic factory that is being started at the university has delayed due to the pandemic, but the project is still in progress.
Speaking during the occasion, DEKUT Vice Chancellor Prof Ndirangu Kioni said the role of the university would be to source for financiers and other partners to purchase products from the film hub. Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga said the County government would continue to work jointly with the national government to boost development in the region for the benefit of the residents.
