Kenya investigates visual effects opportunities

The Kenyan government has formed a task force to look into developing the local visual effects and animation industry.

The new body will be chaired by ICT Board Chief Executive Officer Paul Kukubo and is expected to hold its first meeting next week to explore challenges and opportunities in the sector.

Information Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo has pledged to transform the sector and nurture young talent, in order to unlock the huge opportunities that abound in animation and film.

“There are several requirements that the industry needs to comply with and the taskforce will therefore look at these deficits and recommend the way forward. We have various capacities and (we) can collaboratively begin to make this kind of productions (such as 3D, animations, short commercials) locally” Ndemo said.

“There are already local efforts going on but we need to use the expertise that we have, to develop those capacities and move forward,” Dr Ndemo added.

Dr. Ndemo told a meeting attended by animators, movie makers, graphic designers, sketch artists, gamers and musicians that the country had already built infrastructure and put the regulatory framework in place, however what is needed is local content.

He said that the government would soon start to implement the 40 per cent local programming content rule, once two cases in court challenging this are finalized.