{"id":160534,"date":"2026-04-17T16:19:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T16:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success"},"modified":"2026-04-17T17:07:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T17:07:22","slug":"ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success","title":{"rendered":"Ruto Encourages Kenyan Creatives to Aim for Global Success"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

What You Need to Know<\/h4>\n

President William Ruto has called on Kenya’s creative sector to strive for global recognition, asserting that the country can surpass Afrocinema. Speaking at the Kenya National Drama Festival, he highlighted the world-class quality of local performances and announced formal government support for the arts, including predictable funding through education. Ruto emphasized the importance of redirecti<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Africa-Press – Kenya. <\/strong> <\/span>President William Ruto has challenged Kenya\u2019s creative sector to aim for global dominance, saying the country has the potential to outperform Afrocinema if given the right support and structure.<\/p>\n

Speaking at State House, during Kenya National Drama Festival State Concert, Ruto said performances he had witnessed demonstrated world-class standards capable of competing on the global stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at the scripts here and watching the performances, they are world-class\u2014even better than Afrocinema. I think we can take this to the next level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Drawing parallels with Kenya\u2019s global success in sports, the president expressed confidence that the country could achieve similar status in the arts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a world-beating sports nation in many disciplines. I believe we also have the capacity to be a world-beating artistic nation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the proper architecture, our men and women \u2014 our performers \u2014 will go places.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruto announced that government support for the creative sector will now be formalized, including predictable funding through the education sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis now becomes a budgetary item in the Ministry of Education so that there is predictable funding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also called for a shift in how resources are allocated, proposing that a portion of advertising budgets be redirected towards nurturing creative talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we are willing to invest in advertising, we must channel resources into drama and music festivals and branding where young people learn and influence one another,\u201d he said, adding that accountability measures would be introduced through performance contracts and regular reporting.<\/p>\n

The president praised the role of storytelling in shaping Kenya\u2019s identity, noting that the past days had showcased the country\u2019s cultural depth.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past 12 days, we have witnessed an extraordinary display of culture and the limitless potential of our nation. Storytelling has always been at the center of our vibrancy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He noted that the sector is evolving rapidly, driven by young people blending creativity with technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, a new generation is embracing creativity and technology to protect our cultural vitality. More critically, drama is taking on a new and powerful meaning\u2014creativity is no longer a hobby, but one of the fastest-growing sectors of our economy,\u201d Ruto said.<\/p>\n

To strengthen the industry, the president said the government would seek expertise to support policy and growth in the creative economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will look for expertise to work with government to ensure that the creative industry receives adequate attention,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ruto also revealed plans to attend the upcoming Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, signaling continued state interest in the sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext month I will join creators at the Kalasha Awards. I am looking forward to that occasion\u2014I cannot wait,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kenya has a rich cultural heritage, with its arts and creative industries playing a significant role in shaping national identity. The government has increasingly recognized the potential of these sectors, particularly in the context of globalization and technological advancement. Recent initiatives aim to enhance support for artists and promote Kenyan culture on the international stage, reflecting a growing commitment to the creative economy.<\/p>\n

The creative sector in Kenya has seen a surge in interest, especially among the youth, who are leveraging technology to innovate and express their cultural narratives. This evolution is crucial as the country seeks to position itself as a leader in the<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Kenya<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What You Need to Know President William Ruto has called on Kenya’s creative sector to strive for global recognition, asserting that the country can surpass Afrocinema. Speaking at the Kenya National Drama Festival, he highlighted the world-class quality of local performances and announced formal government support for the arts, including predictable funding through education. Ruto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":160533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[15996,15997,15999,544,15998,312],"class_list":["post-160534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-creative-sector","tag-cultural-identity","tag-global-dominance","tag-kenya","tag-kenyan-art","tag-william-ruto"],"yoast_head":"\nRuto Encourages Kenyan Creatives to Aim for Global Success - kenya<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President Ruto urges Kenya's creative sector to achieve global recognition, emphasizing support and funding for the arts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ruto Encourages Kenyan Creatives to Aim for Global Success\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President Ruto urges Kenya's creative sector to achieve global recognition, emphasizing support and funding for the arts.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"kenya\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-17T16:19:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-17T17:07:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/kenya\/sites\/28\/2026\/04\/sm_1776445279.657847.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1728\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1152\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Ruto Encourages Kenyan Creatives to Aim for Global Success\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-17T16:19:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-17T17:07:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success\"},\"wordCount\":637,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/kenya\/sites\/28\/2026\/04\/sm_1776445279.657847.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"creative sector\",\"cultural identity\",\"global dominance\",\"Kenya\",\"Kenyan art\",\"William Ruto\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"culture and art\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/ruto-encourages-kenyan-creatives-to-aim-for-global-success\",\"name\":\"Ruto Encourages Kenyan Creatives to Aim for Global Success - 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