What You Need to Know
President William Ruto will attend the upcoming Kalasha Awards, introducing a new category for student films aimed at nurturing young talent. This initiative seeks to connect school-based creatives with the professional film industry, enhancing visibility and support for emerging storytellers in Kenya.
Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto will next month attend the Kalasha Awards, where a new category recognising student films will be introduced in a move aimed at nurturing young storytellers and linking school-based talent to the professional film industry.
Speaking on Friday during the 64th Kenya National Drama and Film Festival State Concert at State House, Nairobi, Ruto said he has directed the Kenya Film Commission to create a dedicated category for emerging creatives, particularly those identified through school festivals.
“Next month, I will join our creators at the Kalasha Awards, an occasion that celebrates the very best of Kenyan film,” Ruto said.
“I have directed the Kenya Film Commission to introduce at the Kalasha Awards a dedicated category, particularly those emerging from festivals such as this, so that our young storytellers can be seen.”
The President said the move is intended to give visibility to student creatives and inspire them by placing their work on national platforms alongside established filmmakers.
He said the annual drama and film festivals continue to serve as a key pipeline for talent development, bringing together learners, teachers and creatives from across the country.
“These festivals are living classrooms of creativity, bringing together some of the most gifted young scriptwriters, performers and storytellers,” Ruto said.
He added that the government is working to ensure such platforms are better structured and funded, announcing plans to make the festivals a budgeted programme under the Ministry of Education.
“I want to transition so that this becomes a budgetary item in the Ministry of Education to make sure that there is predictable funding,” he said.
Ruto also linked the new Kalasha category to broader reforms in the creative sector, including efforts to ensure artists earn fairly from their work.
He said the government has begun overhauling the royalties collection system, citing past inefficiencies where creatives received only a fraction of their earnings.
“In one instance, a collective management organisation collected Sh109 million on behalf of artists but distributed only 12 per cent. That is not only unfair, but unacceptable,” Ruto said.
“Today, we are correcting that, making sure that collection of royalties happens on a transparent system so that artists benefit from their work,” he added.
The President said the reforms are part of a wider push to position the creative economy as a major contributor to national growth, supported by policy and legislative changes.
He pointed to the proposed Creative Economy Bill 2026, currently before Parliament, which seeks to anchor the sector, expand access to financing and professionalise the industry.
“It will enable the government to invest in large-scale productions, because telling our own stories at scale is no longer an option. It is an imperative,” Ruto said.
At the same time, he called for greater collaboration between government and content creators, noting that storytelling has become a powerful tool for communication in the digital age.
“That is why I have directed the Ministry of ICT and the Government Advertising Agency to work more closely with content creators,” he said.
Ruto also urged increased investment in platforms such as drama, film and music festivals, saying they provide spaces for young people to engage, influence one another and build careers.
The introduction of a student-focused category at the Kalasha Awards is expected to bridge the gap between school-based creative programmes and the professional industry, offering young filmmakers a pathway to recognition and growth.
The Kalasha Awards, established to celebrate Kenyan film, have evolved to include various categories that recognize talent across the industry. The introduction of a student film category reflects a growing recognition of the importance of nurturing young creatives, particularly in an era where storytelling plays a crucial role in cultural expression and economic development. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to enhance the creative economy in Kenya, ensuring that artists receive fair compensation and support for their work.
