Kenyan artists have been encouraged to exploit their potentials in the entertainment industry by ensuring that their talents were fully nurtured for economic growth of the country.
Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, Ms Nadia Abdalla, said the entertainment industry has a huge potential that could be tapped in the growth of the economy as well as create opportunities for employment and self-employment for talented youth.
She said the creative economy has career prospects that could be exploited to sustain livelihoods of the talented youth as the country’s music industry is worth over 112 million U.S dollars in the areas of music, writing, singing, dancing, recording, emceeing, distribution and promotion.
“Music is a multi-billion industry through which many talented people across the world make a decent living. I encourage young people to relentlessly work hard in the pursuit of their passion and dreams,” said Nadia.
The CAS was speaking during the Seventh Edition of the Pulse Music and Video Awards Gala organized by the Standard Media Group at Nairobi Street Kitchen where several artists among them Deejays (DJs), music video directors and creatives in the industry were honoured and awarded.
“The local music is a force in its own right and is being appreciated more than ever. As a result, the industry players now enjoy higher profile both home and abroad,” Nadia said.
Ms Nadia cited music as a very effective and powerful medium of communication that could be used to promote the development and maintenance of a group, cultural and national identities.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to support talent as part of its youth agenda to develop and nurture talent.
The CAS said President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage to set aside Sh100million to promote local artists in the creative industry to cushion them from the effects of Covid-19 pandemic, to sustain and improve the sectors output.
She stated that the overall policy objective for the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs is to create an enabling environment for youth to profitably engage in the socio-economic development of the country.
Ms Nadia said despite the vast opportunities provided by the music industry, many young people with talent in music continue to waste away due to lack of finance to produce and market their own work.
“Inspired by the country’s enormous creativity and unexploited talent, the government has set up recording studios dubbed ‘Studio Mashinani’ to bridge this gap by providing free recording facilities, mentorship and access to platforms to commercialize their productions,” said the CAS.
Nadia encouraged the young musicians to visit the studios constructed by the government in Nairobi, Machakos, Mombasa and Kisumu counties to promote and commercialize their music.
The CAS at the same time called upon all players in the music industry to be Ambassadors of Peace and to uphold peace during this electioneering period through their music, as part of social responsibility.
By Bernadette Khaduli
