Hello, how are you. am hoping that your good and doing okay.

Life has a very different way of bringing people together. But when it comes to parents its a blessing from God. Christians say that God is the provider. I can ascertain that God sincerely provided me with the most amazing parents.

I cannot quite remember what was the first word i ever said, neither can i remember that first day i called out mama or papa, anyway you are agreeably the most protective parents on earth. You raised us, me and my sister together with my two younger brothers. Despite having lived in the 60s you guys raised 90s children

Hey dad, do u remember that day u punished us just because we decided to climb up on the roof of our house and started to dance? And you mum, the way you used to punish us and tell us to immediately keep quite? You guys made men and a woman out of the boys and a girl God gave you. You willingly subjected us to institution of our own choice. school was fun but education was tiresome. You wanted us to enjoy education but i personally enjoyed school.

I made friends with those that my personalities matched. I fell in love with those that i loved. Falling in love was an amazing feeling. Feeling my heart skip beats and feeling strong and weak at the same time was just something i cannot explain.

Do you remember those nights where we just talked about random stuff? Those days you make us smile and forget about everything else? Those days and nights were we laughed what was left of our heart and souls out? I miss seeing your faces right before i retired to bed though there were no bed time stories. Sleeping was a command. We had to sleep within the first ten minutes on bed or else…… I miss going to bed knowing that tomorrow you were sill my parents, though have grown into a big boy now.

If God could give me a chance to change things, if God could give me a chance to choose the life i wanted, i would ask God to give me to you to raise me again. I would ask God to let me raised in the same environment i was raised in. You raising me was the best thing ever.

Am very much proud of you guys for overwhelmingly supporting my decisions. you see am not the doctor you dreamt of, am not the engineer you dreamt of, am not whatever you wanted me to be, but i can assure you truthfully that i love what i do very much. Thank you for your support.

I love you infinity time infinity

Your loving son

Wyclife

KENYA FILM CLASSIFICATION BOARD

SPEECH BY KFCB CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DR. EZEKIEL MUTUA(MBS) DURING THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE EAST AFRICA STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL HOSTED BY DAYSTAR UNIVERSITY, NAIROBI KENYA ON SATURDAY, 11TH NOVEMBER 2017

Prof. Timothy Wachira – The Vice Chancellor – Daystar University,
Mr. René Denis – the ‎Audiovisual Attaché for East Africa- French Embassy -Kenya,
Deputy Vice Chancellors, Deans, Heads of Department, Faculty and Students from various Universities across East Africa,
Jurors,
Film industry stakeholders and Media Practitioners present,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to join you this evening for first edition of the East Africa Student Film Festival. On behalf of the Kenya Film Classification Board, allow me to first of all register our appreciation for the invitation to participate in this important event for the creative industry in Kenya and the East African region.

I take this opportunity to commend Daystar University for this initiative, which reflects a commitment to promote Creative Arts through the education system. Our partnership in this important event is an embodiment of the Board’s commitment to work with learning institutions to promote to ensure that content upholds positive social values.

Indeed, this festival comes at a time when Creative Arts are taking a central position in the development of the global economy. The fact that the richest people in the world are in sports and entertainment industry attests to this fact. In many countries, the creative industry has become a significant foundation for economic growth, defining the economies of the world. In Nigeria, Nollywood is today the second highest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) after oil. Globally, there is no America without Hollywood; no India without Bollywood.

In Kenya, research shows that the future of our economy is in Creative Arts. According to a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers this year, Kenya’s entertainment and media sector is estimated to grow by 8.5 per cent over the next five years to hit Sh329 billion. The sector and media outlook 2017 – 2021 indicates that in 2016 the industry was worth Sh216 billion ($2.1 billion), up from 13.6 per cent in 2015.

As you are aware, KFCB’s role is to regulate content to promote moral values, culture and national aspirations. Besides protecting children from exposure to harmful content, the Board is committed to support the youth to express their creative talents through the various forms of artistic expression. We firmly believe that young people can establish sustainable careers in the creative sector and be able to create lucrative employment opportunities.

Although we have many film and sports stars in Africa and the world, most of them are not good role models, and do not influence positive social change. Many are given to vanity and despise God, defy Governmental authority, with some engaging in drug abuse. Indeed, we have many big names whose lives ended tragically because they were not grounded in Godly values and use their talent to destroy themselves and others. Closer home, we have many artistes who have ended up miserably due to lack of moral values.

These impressive statistics show that ICTs present a great opportunity for filmmakers, not only in Kenya but in the East African region. Thanks to ICT growth, we now have an almost infinite market for content to a limitless scope of audience. The switch from analog Television to digital broadcasting and the advent of online streaming and Over-the-Top services present great opportunities for content creators.

Our intention as a regulator is to ensure that while we are promoting growth in the creative sector, the youth should also be inspired to bring about positive change. We believe that we can use talent to promote values of family, love, tolerance, patience, hard work, respect for the law and resilience.

In our efforts to facilitate economic growth through Creative Arts, we appreciate the fact that the arts are powerful transmitters of values. Every form of artistic expression today seeks to promote an ideological agenda. Issues such as preservation of the environment and promoting regional peace should take centre stage in our films and other arts. We have to challenge the false impression created by foreign films that Africa is inferior. Africa is the cradle of mankind, with the best filming locations in the world. We have to restore the dignity of Africa in the arts.

The proliferation of foreign films threatens to erode our culture by introducing cultures that glorify violence and other social evils like homosexuality. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to work together to protect our moral values and culture through arts. Our collective efforts will go a long way in asserting Africa’s place in the global arena as a proponent of progressive culture and values through artistic expression. We should reject the idea that Africa is a dark continent by showcasing our rich cultural heritage through Creative Arts.

To tap into opportunities in the creative sector, KFCB has embarked on an ambitious nationwide project that seeks to facilitate young people to venture in film production. Dubbed “Sinema Mashinani, the project aims to provide training opportunities for aspiring filmmakers, and nurturing creative talent.

Under the project, KFCB seeks to establish mobile cinema theatres across the country in a bid to revive the cinema culture in Kenya. The facilities will, further, provide filming equipment to fledgling filmmakers, providing platforms for showcasing creative talents. This effort seeks to encourage production of films in vernacular, celebrating our rich heritage of culture and moral values.

We are also organising the International Film Convention – Kenya (IFC-K) to be held at the Safari Park hotel in Nairobi from 15th to 17th November, 2017. Themed “Taking the Audio-visual and Film Industry in Eastern Africa to the next Level”, the IFC-K will offer a platform to take stock of progress in the Creative Sector, providing an opportunity for local filmmakers to share ideas with renowned producers from across the world.

It will also be an important forum for networking and exploring ways of developing strategies to generate local content that promotes the African culture and national aspirations. The plenary sessions that will be held in the course of conference will feature discussions on ways of facilitating growth in the creative industry in Kenya as well as the Eastern Africa region.

I take this opportunity to commend Daystar University for recognising the arts as an avenue of empowering the youth and engaging them positively. While academic skills are crucial, it is important to create platforms to enable the youth to exploit their talents through the education system. This festival is a good example of how institutions of higher learning can identify and nurture creative talents in a way that embraces regional integration through our collective uniting cultural diversity.

The Board takes cognizance of the fact that Kenya is among the best filming destinations in the world. We have some of the best filming locations in the world and we need to work together with learning institutions such as Daystar University to turn these advantages into money-making ventures for our artistes. This will in turn increase the volume of content produced locally to attain the 40 -60% percent threshold that is expected of broadcasters to promote local creators of content and reclaim Kenyan culture, national values and aspirations.
The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) is indeed proud to be the official partner of this great initiative. This is an important forum to inspire students to venture in film production that bodes well with our determination to work with learning institutions to inspire a generation of filmmakers who will tell positive stories through film from our cultural and values perspective.

In conclusion, let me once again thank Daystar University for hosting this important forum. This is a great platform for networking and discussing the past, present and future of the film and broadcast industry in the region. I commit the Board’s support for this initiative as part of our efforts to bolster growth in this important sector of our regional economy.

Thank You

Dr. Ezekiel Mutua, MBS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

KENYA FILM CLASSIFICATION BOARD 
SPEECH BY KFCB CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DR. EZEKIEL MUTUA(MBS) DURING THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE EAST AFRICA STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL HOSTED BY DAYSTAR UNIVERSITY, NAIROBI KENYA ON SATURDAY, 11TH NOVEMBER 2017
Prof. Timothy Wachira – The Vice Chancellor – Daystar University, 

Mr. René Denis – the ‎Audiovisual Attaché for East Africa- French Embassy -Kenya, 

Deputy Vice Chancellors, Deans, Heads of Department, Faculty and Students from various Universities across East Africa,

Jurors,

Film industry stakeholders and Media Practitioners present,

Distinguished guests, 

Ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to join you this evening for first edition of the East Africa Student Film Festival. On behalf of the Kenya Film Classification Board, allow me to first of all register our appreciation for the invitation to participate in this important event for the creative industry in Kenya and the East African region.
I take this opportunity to commend Daystar University for this initiative, which reflects a commitment to promote Creative Arts through the education system. Our partnership in this important event is an embodiment of the Board’s commitment to work with learning institutions to promote to ensure that content upholds positive social values. 

Indeed, this festival comes at a time when Creative Arts are taking a central position in the development of the global economy. The fact that the richest people in the world are in sports and entertainment industry attests to this fact.  In many countries, the creative industry has become a significant foundation for economic growth, defining the economies of the world. In Nigeria, Nollywood is today the second highest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) after oil. Globally, there is no America without Hollywood; no India without Bollywood.  
In Kenya, research shows that the future of our economy is in Creative Arts. According to a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers this year, Kenya’s entertainment and media sector is estimated to grow by 8.5 per cent over the next five years to hit Sh329 billion. The sector and media outlook 2017 – 2021 indicates that in 2016 the industry was worth Sh216 billion ($2.1 billion), up from 13.6 per cent in 2015.
As you are aware, KFCB’s role is to regulate content to promote moral values, culture and national aspirations.  Besides protecting children from exposure to harmful content, the Board is committed to support the youth to express their creative talents through the various forms of artistic expression. We firmly believe that young people can establish sustainable careers in the creative sector and be able to create lucrative employment opportunities.
Although we have many film and sports stars in Africa and the world, most of them are not good role models, and do not influence positive social change. Many are given to vanity and despise God, defy Governmental authority, with some engaging in drug abuse. Indeed, we have many big names whose lives ended tragically because they were not grounded in Godly values and use their talent to destroy themselves and others. Closer home, we have many artistes who have ended up miserably due to lack of moral values. 

These impressive statistics show that ICTs present a great opportunity for filmmakers, not only in Kenya but in the East African region. Thanks to ICT growth, we now have an almost infinite market for content to a limitless scope of audience. The switch from analog Television to digital broadcasting and the advent of online streaming and Over-the-Top services present great opportunities for content creators. 
Our intention as a regulator is to ensure that while we are promoting growth in the creative sector, the youth should also be inspired to bring about positive change.  We believe that we can use talent to promote values of family, love, tolerance, patience, hard work, respect for the law and resilience.

In our efforts to facilitate economic growth through Creative Arts, we appreciate the fact that the arts are powerful transmitters of values. Every form of artistic expression today seeks to promote an ideological agenda. Issues such as preservation of the environment and promoting regional peace should take centre stage in our films and other arts. We have to challenge the false impression created by foreign films that Africa is inferior. Africa is the cradle of mankind, with the best filming locations in the world. We have to restore the dignity of Africa in the arts.
The proliferation of foreign films threatens to erode our culture by introducing cultures that glorify violence and other social evils like homosexuality. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to work together to protect our moral values and culture through arts. Our collective efforts will go a long way in asserting Africa’s place in the global arena as a proponent of progressive culture and values through artistic expression. We should reject the idea that Africa is a dark continent by showcasing our rich cultural heritage through Creative Arts. 

To tap into opportunities in the creative sector, KFCB has embarked on an ambitious nationwide project that seeks to facilitate young people to venture in film production.  Dubbed “Sinema Mashinani, the project aims to provide training opportunities for aspiring filmmakers, and nurturing creative talent. 
Under the project, KFCB seeks to establish mobile cinema theatres across the country in a bid to revive the cinema culture in Kenya. The facilities will, further, provide filming equipment to fledgling filmmakers, providing platforms for showcasing creative talents. This effort seeks to encourage production of films in vernacular, celebrating our rich heritage of culture and moral values.

We are also organising the International Film Convention – Kenya (IFC-K) to be held at the Safari Park hotel in Nairobi from 15th to 17th November, 2017. Themed “Taking the Audio-visual and Film Industry in Eastern Africa to the next Level”, the IFC-K will offer a platform to take stock of progress in the Creative Sector, providing an opportunity for local filmmakers to share ideas with renowned producers from across the world. 
It will also be an important forum for networking and exploring ways of developing strategies to generate local content that promotes the African culture and national aspirations.  The plenary sessions that will be held in the course of conference will feature discussions on ways of facilitating growth in the creative industry in Kenya as well as the Eastern Africa region. 
I take this opportunity to commend Daystar University for recognising the arts as an avenue of empowering the youth and engaging them positively. While academic skills are crucial, it is important to create platforms to enable the youth to exploit their talents through the education system. This festival is a good example of how institutions of higher learning can identify and nurture creative talents in a way that embraces regional integration through our collective uniting cultural diversity. 
The Board takes cognizance of the fact that Kenya is among the best filming destinations in the world. We have some of the best filming locations in the world and we need to work together with learning institutions such as Daystar University to turn these advantages into money-making ventures for our artistes. This will in turn increase the volume of content produced locally to attain the 40 -60% percent threshold that is expected of broadcasters to promote local creators of content and reclaim Kenyan culture, national values and aspirations.

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) is indeed proud to be the official partner of this great initiative. This is an important forum to inspire students to venture in film production that bodes well with our determination to work with learning institutions to inspire a generation of filmmakers who will tell positive stories   through film from our cultural and values perspective. 

In conclusion, let me once again thank Daystar University for hosting this important forum. This is a great platform for networking and discussing the past, present and future of the film and broadcast industry in the region. I commit the Board’s support for this initiative as part of our efforts to bolster growth in this important sector of our regional economy.
Thank You

Dr. Ezekiel Mutua, MBS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Raia TV is pleased to host the CEO of Kenya Film Classification Board today as he paid them a courtesy visit to their Mombasa office today.

A big thanks to Ezekiel Mutua for the strides, efforts, and support he has been able to accord and achieve in the film industry to create a friendly environment for the film industry to flourish.

His message to all film industry stakeholders is to work towards harmonizing film regulation in the East African region and to promote local talent.

Raia Tv stories must not be told by foreigners. KFCB is happy that Raia TV is here to promote local talent. The future is indeed in the creative industry.

Raia TV is looking forward to work together with KFCB and other film stakeholders towards making their channel achieve its mission in the market.

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen 

I am delighted to be here this morning to preside over the Kayole One Primary School children’s film show.  On my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), allow me to extend our appreciation for the invitation to attend this forum. 

From the outset, I would like to commend this school for making efforts to facilitate children to exploit their talents in film. The creative industry is the biggest earners of income in the world today. The richest people today are not in the formal sector but in the knowledge economy and the arts. In Nigeria, for instance, Nollywood is the largest contributor to the country’s economy after oil.  Here in Kenya, the film industry has the potential to generate Sh. 200 billion annually, creating jobs for young people. 

It is for this reason that the Board is making efforts to encourage the youth to venture in film production. Our initiatives are designed to facilitate talented youth to exploit their talents and earn a living. We are motivated by the fact that film is a great frontier for employment opportunities and a career avenue that should be inculcated in children in their formative years through the education system. 

I am, therefore, pleased that Kayole One Primary School   has embraced a film making culture. I am informed that the school was among the participants in the National Drama Festivals. I note with pleasure that this year, pupils from this school screened a film titled ‘Unknown Angel’ at the 2017 edition of the Kenya Schools and Colleges Film Festival and won. Congratulations on this impressive feat! 

The Board is particularly happy that this great success has been achieved by achieved by primary school students. We are happy to be associated with this achievement and will be happy to continue working with you to identify and nurture talent among children. Through such commendable initiatives, this school is encouraging contribution to the growth of the country’s creative industry in general. 

As a regulator, KFCB’s main mission is to promote creative talent by encouraging the production of local films that uphold moral values and culture. The Board is keen to encourage the production of positive content, which resonates with the Board’s campaign for social values. Our enduring national values and commitment to hard work, honesty, servant leadership, patriotism, and national integration should be promoted through creative works. The Board, therefore, encourages schools to inculcate these critical values in our children early in life through art.

The Board will, therefore, work with Kayole One Primary school in this commendable project and seek opportunities for screening in reputable international film festivals. This will expose the pupils to new ideas in the art and craft of film making as well as opening international career opportunities for them.  

The Board will continue to champion for a robust film industry through facilitative regulation and fostering closer stakeholder participation in all matters concerning creative. Our efforts are motivated by the high potential of the industry to create jobs for the youth. Indeed, content development can translate to a sustainable source of income for young people across the country.

In the Board’s efforts to promote Kenya’s film industry, we believe that identifying and nurturing talent early in life is important. In this regard, KFCB is working closely with schools and other learning institutions to promote talent across the country. We are also in the process of rolling out the Sinema Mashinani initiative to encourage young people to venture into filmmaking. 

In conclusion, I take this opportunity to congratulate the school on  the winning of your film “Unknown Angel” at the 2017 Kenya Schools and Colleges Festival. I commit the Board’s support and collaboration for programmes aimed at promoting production of more local content to promote our cultural heritage and moral values.

New Siaya ward reps will not cancel their induction in Mombasa to take part in NASA’s anti-IEBC demonstrations, speaker George Okode said.

He told off the ODM national chairman John Mbadi on Friday, saying no political party has authority to dictate the affairs of the county.

The National Democratic Insitute is paying for the trip.

The speaker was reacting to remarks by Mbadi published on Thursday directing Okode to cancel the training and allow MCAs to join the countrywide protests.

Okode spoke to one Journalist on the phone on Friday and said they would not be cowed by anybody

He said the assembly is an autonomous wing of the county government that has procedures to follow.

“Mbadi should know that no political party can dictate the affairs of the county assembly through the media,” he said.

He said prior to the Mombasa trip, the assembly adjourned its operations for three weeks to engage in the demonstrations. However, local elected MPs skipped the protests.

Training is more useful for the people of Siaya than the demonstrations. MCAs will be equipped with skills to draft and critic Bills, he said.

Okode asked why Mbadi was soconcerned about Siaya, yet colleagues from Homa Bay are in Nairobi for a 10-day induction.

Mbadi is experienced and should know house rules and procedures on communicating to the assembly, not through media, Okode said.

“We will not cancel the trip and we do not want anybody to lord it over  us,” Okode said.

He said missing the induction for the NASA demos would be an affront to their colleagues from other parties.

Okode appears headed for a battle with the ODM honchos. 

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga said he would return the list of nominated executives rejected by the MCAs last week. He said he would invoke the the party manifesto and rules to persuade the MCAs

On my own behalf and on behalf of the Kenya Film Classification Board, allow me to express our appreciation for the invitation to participate in this exciting cultural event. The magnificent cultural exhibitions that have been displayed here today reflect our rich African cultural diversity. The breath-taking performances are an inspiring testament that our youth can use their creative talents to showcase our African culture, whose variety celebrates moral values that seek to promote a cohesive society.

As you may be aware, the Kenya Film Classification Board is a State Corporation whose key role is to promote culture and moral values through the arts. Besides protecting children from exposure to harmful content, the Board is mandated to support the youth to express their creative talents through the various forms of artistic expression. We firmly believe that young people can establish sustainable careers in the creative sector and be able to create lucrative employment opportunities.

I therefore take this opportunity to commend the Marist University College for recognising the arts as another avenue of empowering the youth and engaging them positively. While academic skills are crucial, it is important to create platforms to enable the youth to exploit their talents through the education system. This exhibition is a good example of how institutions of higher learning can identify and nurture creative talents in a way that embraces regional integration through the uniting cultural diversity. Such initiatives will enable the youth to establish enterprises based on their creative talents, contributing immensely to regional economic development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The creative industry is one of the highest contributors to the global economy today. In 2013, a UNESCO report showed that the creative economy employed close to 30 million people across the world. According to the study, the industry generated $2.25 trillion in revenue, accounting for 3 percent of the world’s GDP as at the end of 2013. Further, a 2015 study commissioned by the International Confederation of Authors and Composers’ Societies (CISAC) revealed that Africa and the Middle East region had attained a revenue output capacity level of $ 58 billion, creating 2.4 million jobs. The study established that African music was playing a central role in the development of popular music in North America, South America, and Europe.

It is not surprising, then, that the richest people in the world today are in the creative arts and the knowledge economy. The arts have turned into a significant driving force in creation of employment opportunities. Here in Africa, Nigeria’s Nollywood provides direct employment to an estimated 300,000 people. Nollywood highest income earner for Nigeria after oil and Agriculture, generating, on average, a whopping $600 million annually for the Nigerian economy.

In Kenya, the film industry is estimated to be having a potential to generate KSh.200 billion annually. This huge revenue output and job creation capacity promises great opportunities that can be harnessed to transform the country. We are collaborating closely with other countries in the region to maximise the exploitation of these opportunities in the interest of promoting development in the continent.

In these efforts, we appreciate the fact that the arts are powerful transmitters of values. Every form of artistic expression today seeks to promote an ideological agenda. The proliferation of foreign films, for example, threatens to erode our culture by introducing cultures that glorify violence and other social evils like homosexuality. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to work together to protect our moral values and culture through arts. This will go a long way in asserting Africa’s place in global discourse in terms of values and culture.

In conclusion, I wish to once again thank the Marist University College for the invitation. I assure you that the Board will continue working closely with you to promote talent among the youth as an avenue for job creation and promotion of culture.