Governor Sakaja Clarifies Nairobi’s New Film and Content Creation Fees Amid Industry Concerns

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja has responded to concerns raised by filmmakers and digital content creators regarding new fees introduced under the Nairobi City County Finance Act, 2026.

The charges, which affect commercial filming, content creation studios, streaming services, and monetised events, sparked debate over their potential impact on the creative industry in the city.

Clarification on Fee Targets

Governor Sakaja emphasized that these fees are aimed at professional and commercial productions that heavily utilize public spaces and infrastructure, not individual content creators or influencers producing routine digital content.

“These charges were never intended to target ordinary content creators, influencers or young people creating digital content. We intend to regulate professional and commercial film productions that require significant use of public spaces and infrastructure,” Sakaja stated.

Fee Structure Highlights

• Local commercial filming sessions: Ksh 8,000 each
• External commercial filming sessions: Ksh 50,000 each
• Religious and private filming: Ksh 8,000
• Music video production: Ksh 10,000
• Content creation studios: Ksh 40,000 annually
• Local streaming platforms: Ksh 100,000 annually
• Digital content platforms: Ksh 80,000 annually
• Monetised influencer events: Ksh 10,000 per event
• Television stations: Ksh 200,000 annually
• Radio stations: Ksh 150,000 annually
• Cinemas and theatres: Ksh 100,000 annually per screen
• Online entertainment events: Ksh 15,000 per event

Supporting Nairobi’s Creative Economy

Sakaja highlighted the county’s commitment to nurturing the creative sector as a vital source of employment and a marketing platform for Nairobi locally and internationally.

He clarified the distinction between small-scale social media content creators and large commercial productions that require extensive crews, equipment, vehicles, and sometimes road closures.

“There is a clear difference between a content creator shooting a video for social media and a large film production arriving with a crew, equipment, vehicles and requiring the temporary closure or controlled use of a road. That is who we are targeting,” the governor explained.

The Nairobi County government aims to balance support for creative livelihoods with the need to regulate large productions that impact public resources.