Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Film board launches crackdown on pirated movies


Distributors of pirated movies in the Coast region have been put on notice to get rid of their outlawed merchandise.

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) coast regional manager, Boniventure Kioko, has said they will collaborate with the police in a major crackdown to deal with the distributors.

KFCB also plans to ban the distribution of pirated foreign content – including Tanzanian Bongo music and Indian moviesas a means of dealing with the crime.

“Foreign movies and music videos which have flooded the market are killing our industry. Stakeholders in the entertainment industry should collaborate with the film regulator to curb piracy,” Mr Kioko said.

Speaking to the Daily Nation, Mr Kioko ​urged the distributors to seek KFCB licenses.

He said the menace is rampant in Mombasa, Voi, Malindi, Lamu and Kwale towns.

FOREIGN MOVIES

“Selling unrated movies will not be allowed in the market. They are also selling pornographic materials eroding the minds of our children. We are liaising with customs officials at border points to help in containing the crime,” he said.

Mr Kioko also said local movie makers and players in the creative work have been complaining that pirated foreign movies are slowing down the growth of the film industry in the country.

“The crackdown on pirated CDs, VCDs and DVDs will continue until we clear the local market of piracy,” he added.

Mr Kioko also urged film makers to produce documentaries aimed at curbing child online pornography and sex tourism along the Kenyan beaches and hotels along the coastline.

Rajabu Mzee, a Malindi-based film director, said it has been hard to produce and sell local content due to Kenyans’ love for foreign movies.

“The only way to deal with piracy is to arrest the distributors and nab the contraband. They have killed our trade,” he said.