End of KFCB? Proposed Bill Would Hand Film Regulation Powers to Cabinet Secretary

Kenya's film and entertainment industry is watching Parliament closely after a proposed law that could effectively dissolve the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) was tabled for public consideration this month.

The Films and Stage Plays (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, seeks to amend the Films and Stage Plays Act, Cap. 222 to disband KFCB entirely and transfer its regulatory mandate to the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, according to Nation.Africa.

Under the proposal, the Cabinet Secretary overseeing the ministry would inherit all functions currently exercised by the Board — including the registration, examination, and licensing of films. Licensing officers appointed directly by the Cabinet Secretary would take over day-to-day decisions on whether films should be approved for public viewing, rejected outright, or returned to producers for editing.

The Bill also contemplates that the Cabinet Secretary would retain authority to enforce age-rating restrictions, including "adults only" classifications, and to order the physical removal of content deemed unfit for distribution, with any removed footage retained on official file.

On the question of employees, the proposal provides a degree of protection for current KFCB staff, stipulating that they "shall be redeployed in the public service" rather than being retrenched when the Board is wound down.

The stated justification behind the Bill is cost rationalisation. The proposal forms part of a broader Cabinet-driven push to review and restructure underperforming state corporations and reduce the cost of running parallel regulatory bodies. By reverting KFCB's functions to the parent ministry, proponents argue that bureaucratic duplication can be cut and oversight streamlined under a single accountable authority.

However, critics and industry observers have raised significant concerns about concentrating such powers within a single political office. A recurring worry is the loss of an independent regulator — KFCB, whatever its controversies, has operated at arm's length from direct political control. Folding its mandate into a Cabinet Secretary's portfolio, observers warn, risks making film classification and licensing decisions more susceptible to political influence and less transparent to filmmakers and producers seeking redress.

There are also jurisdictional questions that the Bill leaves unresolved. County governments hold constitutional authority over cinemas and public entertainment venues, meaning a transfer of powers to the national ministry could create overlapping mandates and administrative friction at the county level. Notably, the Bill itself acknowledges that implementation costs could initially exceed any projected savings — an unusual admission in a measure billed primarily as a cost-cutting reform.

Kenyans and creative industry stakeholders have until Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. to submit memoranda on the Bill to the National Assembly. The public participation window gives filmmakers, producers, broadcasters, and citizens an opportunity to put their views on record before the legislation advances to further readings in Parliament.

Sources: Nation.Africa.