KFCB’s Sinema
Mashinani to help
broadcasters collect
and air local content
B y F rancis M uli
The Kenya Film and Classification
Board (KFCB) is set to initiate Sinema
Mashinani (loosely translates into Film
in the grassroots) project that will ease
collection and broadcasting of local
content. The project will also help tap
and nurture unutilised or underutilised
talent in the grassroots.
In a statement, KFCB says that the
project will encourage enterprises in
the creative sector by identifying and
nurturing talents across the country.
The project, which will be rolled across
the country in all counties, also seeks
to facilitate production of films in
vernacular, celebrating the Kenya’s
cultural and linguistic diversity.
“The implementation of the Sinema
Mashinani project is designed to
address various challenges in the in
the industry. These include the dearth
of adequate facilities for training and
nurturing talent, lack of sufficient
access to film production equipment,
and poor access to platforms for
showcasing creative talents. These
aspects have inhibited an optimum
exploitation of the potential of the
creative industry,” reads a statement
from KFCB.
Through the initiative, KFCB aims
at facilitating the production of
more local content to help local
broadcasters achieve the 60 per cent
local content threshold required by
the Programming Code for free-to-air
Radio and Television Services in Kenya
by 2018.
“Access to content in some rural areas
is also a challenge in light of the high
cost of appropriate receivers and lack
of connectivity to the grid. This denies
citizens the opportunity to enjoy
informative and educative content
such as how to boost agricultural
production given that Kenya is largely
an agricultural economy. To mitigate
these challenges, KFCB intends to
acquire modern equipment to enable
access to content in the grassroots.
This will be done through free mobile
cinema theatres in every county,”
continues the statement.
The Board will also set up talent
academies in each county to identify
and nurture creative talents among
the youth even in the rural areas.
“With increased interest in Kenya as
a filming destination, the partnership
will also enhance surveillance and
inspection of filming activities to
ensure national security in light of
the rising use of film by unscrupulous
entities to promote terrorist
activities,” concludes the statement.
This comes a few days after the
Kenya Film Commission extended the
deadline for submissions of entries
into the My Kenya My Story Mobile
Film Competition to February 4.
The project was rolled out mid last year.
F i l a m u K e n y a PA G E 8 n o w p l a y i n g