Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy has recently been in discussions with major social media and digital platform providers regarding the contentious issue of content monetisation.
John Tanui, the ministry’s permanent secretary, announced that his team has met with executives from Google, Meta, and other digital platforms operating in Kenya to advocate for better monetisation options for digital creators.
Mercy Ndegwa, Meta’s public policy director for the East and Horn of Africa, led a team that engaged with Tanui. Earlier, Tanui had convened a meeting with 35 digital creators at the ministry’s headquarters to better understand their monetisation challenges and explore collaborative solutions to enhance income levels and growth within the sector.
During these discussions, creators identified several obstacles hindering their monetisation efforts, including high taxation, account hacking, fake accounts, account deactivation, and demonetisation. Tanui emphasised the ministry’s commitment to empowering creators and fostering Kenya’s digital economy.
“The government is prioritising the Digital Superhighway and the Creative Economy as essential components for the growth and transformation of various sectors within its agenda,” he asserted.
Many Kenyan creatives feel overlooked and believe they should receive financial rewards comparable to their global counterparts. Nevertheless, Ndegwa encouraged digital creators to comply with social media policies and community guidelines, noting that non-compliance could limit their monetisation opportunities.
Meta has committed to partnering with the Kenyan ministry to offer training sessions for content creators. In August, the platform introduced two new monetisation features: Instream Ads on Facebook and Facebook Ads on Reels. These initiatives are expected to provide content creators opportunities to earn money from original videos while building their communities.
