Broadcasting and Telecommunications PS Esther Koimett has said the government will remain steadfast in its commitment to grow the sustainability of the film industry by strengthening the existing institutional framework and increasing the quality of film production through the active involvement of film to all stakeholders.
Koimett made the remarks in Bomet Monday, during the launching of a film hub that was set up and equipped by the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) in partnership with the county administration.
The PS commended the commission for empowering and opening the facility of its own kind in the entire Lake Victoria block region.
“I am delighted to join you during this momentous occasion as we celebrate the launch of this film hub that has been set up by the Kenya Film Commission,” she reiterated.
At the same time, Koimett also lauded KFC for further empowering the youth in Bomet County by equipping Emkwen Vocational Training centre with State-of-the-Art equipment that will enable local youths harness the power of art and technology. The PS highlighted that the current advancement in such technology facilities will go a long way in presenting the youthful population with a wide variety of opportunities that they can tap into.
Koimett challenged the youth in Bomet and neighbouring counties to access information from the hub and actualize it for the intended purpose.
“We live in a global village, through this film hub, local youth now have the opportunity to access any viable information from across the world and use this knowledge and the available tools to create authentic content with little need to travel,” said the PS.
Koimett also revealed that the film industry has been contributing significantly to the Kenyan economy, thus the government is incorporating the sector as part of its economic recovery strategy post Covid-19 pandemic.
She urged other county governments and key stakeholders in the film industry to work together to enable the youth countrywide to achieve their dreams.
On his part, the Kenya Film Commission CEO Timothy Owase encouraged youths in Bomet to utilize the resource centre to produce authentic content.
“We are urging our youths to come up with consumable content which we can provide markets for them, our mandate is to provide avenues for their work to be utilized,” said Owase.
Emkwen is the second hub after the first one at the Dedan Kimathi University that has been set up by the commission to provide film service production outside Nairobi.
Meanwhile, Statistics from KFC has revealed that the film industry channels out a whopping Sh300 billion every year into the Kenyan economy, with the industry so far having employed at least 300,000 people.
Others present during the occasion included KFC Board’s Chairman Ernest Kerich and Bomet governor Dr. Hillary Barichok.
By Lamech Arisa
