Kenya has just released the findings of its National Steering Committee on Digital Piracy, and the numbers are eye-opening: digital piracy is costing the country an estimated US$712 million every year. The report also lays out a new inter-agency framework aimed at tackling the problem head-on.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo Gitau, released the report on 30 July, five months after the committee was first set up. The team behind it was made up of government agencies, regulators, broadcasters, rights holders, internet service providers, civil society groups, and academics, and they had just 100 days to deliver their findings.
The scale of the problem is staggering when you break it down: piracy is costing Kenya roughly US$1.95 million every single day, and the government is losing about US$131.5 million a year in tax revenue as a result.
“It reduces earnings for musicians, filmmakers, authors, journalists, software developers and sports broadcasters, exposes consumers to malware, fraud and identity theft, and is increasingly linked to organised crime,” Kabogo said.
He added that cracking down on piracy could help create or protect more than 50,000 jobs across Kenya’s creative and tech sectors.
To address the issue, the report recommends setting up an Inter-Agency Digital Piracy Enforcement Framework, led by the ministry and involving the Kenya Copyright Board, the Communications Authority of Kenya, the Media Council of Kenya, and the Copyright Tribunal. The framework will focus on large-scale infringers and prioritise protecting premium content, including live sports, which tends to be a major target for pirates.
Kabogo also noted that the framework includes safeguards to ensure enforcement stays within the bounds of constitutional protections for both intellectual property and freedom of expression.
In the future, the ministry plans to roll out a national awareness campaign, develop a National Policy on Digital Piracy, and align any proposed legislative changes with the Copyright and Related Rights Bill, 2026.
“The government will continue to support creators, enforce the law and work with industry to make legal content more accessible and affordable,” Kabogo said.
