Kenya’s film culture has been in its infancy for far too long. It’s been “growing” for what feels like forever. How did I come to this conclusion?
Recently, I wrote about movies I was looking forward to in 2025, and most of them were foreign, Hollywood to be specific. I really wanted to keep it 100 percent Kenyan, but I couldn’t. Why? Because since the Kenyan film industry is “still growing” it’s impossible to talk about film projects a year in advance.
When you think of Kenyan film culture, the first thing that comes to mind is its potential—but it’s time to stop leaning on that. So today, let’s talk about what we would want to see improved this year, let's challenge the culture as a whole.
Keep in mind that “the world treats us how we choose to treat ourselves”.
1. The process
Globally, there’s a standard filmmaking process. Countries like India and Nigeria have adapted it to fit their needs. Kenya, on the other hand, sometimes heavily leans on shortcuts, necessitated by budgetary constraints, which can become a crutch if we want to grow.
Embracing the process before modifying it is how I think, we can transition from an emerging industry to a reasonably thriving one.
2. Representation
Let’s normalise professionalism. Phrases like “talk to my people” should be standard for everyone in the culture. Documentation, contracts, agreements, and clear communication should become the norm. Read, consult, and understand before signing anything.
3. Genre
I’d love to see bold horror/musical films or productions, or if we stick with what I would consider to be a financially safe genre(drama), subvert and play with structure. Surprise and challenge the audience.
4. Kenya Film Commission Website
The Kenya Film Commission’s website does what it’s meant to do very well. But, it’s underutilised. Yes, they have some of the things that I am going to be talking about, but they are surface-level. Ideally, it should be a one-stop hub for everything film-related.
Imagine, a section with comprehensive information about Kenyan film laws and rights, in video form, since we live in an age where video embedding on websites is a walk in the park, the videos should feature advice from legal experts, not just extracts from the Constitution.
Step-by-Step Guides: Clear directives, in video form especially, on how to navigate the filmmaking process locally, from permits to funding to the filmmaking process itself.
Add a section dedicated to guilds. Present all the recognized guilds in the country and how to join them, list their current heads, and provide a document with all the members (Updated monthly).
A random person in Turkana should, first of all, be able to use the website without squinting their eyes to read and should log off and confidently walk out and make a movie.
5. The government
Kenya has an opportunity to become the cinema hub of East Africa, maybe even Africa at large. Picture a corruption-free government investing in performing arts infrastructure: transforming theatres like Kenya Cinema and Nairobi Cinema into world-class venues.
These spaces could host premieres, comedy specials, and international events, and may be even attract filmmakers from abroad.
Additionally, revising taxes on professional and high-end filmmaking equipment which could make high-quality productions a norm in the country, possibly to the extent of drawing in film producers from other markets to the country.
The government could also introduce incentives for studios looking to expand their physical studio spaces, especially around virtual productions.
6. Writing
Kenyan writers are talented, some of the best in the continent, no doubt. But there’s room to improve our dialogue quality and most importantly, I talked about this before, subvert, play or mix genres.
7. Dynamic audio design
Audio remains a weak point in Kenyan films. ADR is often glaringly obvious, and environmental audio design is poorly handled. Filmmakers need to treat sound design as integral to storytelling as the visuals to offer audiences a rich auditory experience.
8. Data-driven culture
The box office, while not perfect, gives filmmakers insight into their product’s performance. Numbers matter, especially when it comes to attracting investors. Filmmakers, if possible, should confidently share budgets and screening results.
Cinemas can play a role here by standardising reporting, allowing filmmakers to use data to demonstrate potential returns. Investors need tangible evidence, and numbers don’t lie.
9. The consumer
How many Kenyan productions did you watch last year? If you’re feeling guilty, good, that’s the point. Now look, I am not trying to lecture you on why you should watch more Kenyan productions.
But, as a consumer, I believe you downplay the import role you play in the culture. Filmmakers can’t thrive without an audience. The culture needs your support to prove its worth to investors. Don’t get me wrong, you are more than just a number, a robust audience base means better funding and better films.
10. Content creators
There’s untapped potential in the relationship between filmmakers and content creators. There is a need to create a film/content creation ecosystem, to keep it as basic as possible, content creators get content, and filmmakers get marketing. This is already happening on a small scale, but 2025 could be the year we take it further.
Final thoughts
Kenya’s film culture has incredible potential, but progress requires intentionality. From improving processes and representation to fostering collaboration and data-driven strategies, there’s so much to be achieved if we treat the industry with the respect it deserves.
