KECOBO says new copyright laws to protect creatives against exploitation

Speaking in Siaya town on Tuesday, Wata said the Kenya Copyright Bill, 2026, seeks to align the protection of intellectual property with the 2010 Constitution and ensure that the country’s creatives are properly protected against exploitation.

Wata, the deputy executive director for training and research, said the bill, which is currently undergoing public participation, provides wide protection for the online environment and seeks to, among other things, expand the mandate of the copyright tribunal.

“The 2010 constitution specifically provides for protection of intellectual property, and so we also want to keep up with the laws of the land,” she said, urging Kenyans to visit the KECOBO website and give their comments on the Bill.

The director said the board was committed to enforcing copyright laws so that Kenyan innovators can value their work and urged anybody whose work has been infringed upon to contact the organization.

Addressing the occasion, KECOBO’s head of human resources, Ketty Arucy, challenged Kenyan content creators to observe national values while coming up with content.

Arucy stressed the need for the content creators to come up with materials that would promote peace and unity instead of content that glorifies social ills.

She further called on content creators to manage their incomes well and invest wisely.

Siaya County Government’s Arts and Creative Economy Officer Faith Otieno hailed the board for its efforts to protect the talents of the youth.

Otieno said that the county government of Siaya no longer takes the creative economy as a side activity as it contributes to entrepreneurship, employment and promotes tourism, sports and arts.

Creatives who attended the forum expressed optimism that the new Bill would protect their rights. 

“I am a beneficiary of KECOBO. Through the board, I have been able to register 15 copyrights,” said David Marenya.

Millicent Atieno and Geoffrey Oduor encourage young creatives to come out and register their work with KECOBO.