President William Ruto has issued a blunt warning to Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi over rising piracy in Kenya, telling him that failure to address the vice could cost him his job.
The President made the remarks during the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, where he singled out Itumbi in a rare public exchange and demanded accountability on efforts to curb content theft in the country’s creative industry.
“And finally, I have a guy. I gave a job called Dennis Itumbi. I want Dennis to come right here,” Ruto said as he addressed stakeholders in the film sector.
“I gave you a job, and I told you what the job description was. I want you to answer something about piracy, to tell me and this audience, what is it that we are doing about piracy?” he said.
The remarks set the tone for a candid moment at the event, which traditionally celebrates achievements in Kenya’s film and television industry but has increasingly become a platform for addressing structural challenges affecting creatives.
Responding to the President, Itumbi acknowledged the scale of the piracy problem, admitting that existing mechanisms have not delivered results.
“Your Excellency, it is true we have a problem on piracy,” Itumbi said.
“What is happening is that we have a commission under the Kenya Film Commission. We have a board that’s dealing with piracy, but it has been slow in giving the results.”
He pledged to deliver a concrete plan within two weeks, saying the government would work with creatives to develop solutions.
“What I can pledge here today is that in the next two weeks, we will bring to you a roadmap. We are going to sit with some members of this team seated here today. We’ll pick five creatives and come back with a roadmap on what we intend to do,” Itumbi said.
He further revealed that piracy has already had tangible consequences on the industry, including the loss of key distribution platforms.
“We have indeed lost Showmax, which is a platform, because of piracy. So in two weeks’ time, your Excellency, we will bring a roadmap on what we intend to do,” he said.
But in a sharp rejoinder, Ruto warned that the commitment must translate into action, linking Itumbi’s performance directly to his position.
“And that stands between you and your job. You should know that,” the President said.
The exchange highlights growing concern within government over the impact of piracy on Kenya’s creative economy, which stakeholders say continues to undermine revenues, discourage investment and limit opportunities for local content creators.
The Kalasha awards, organised by the Kenya Film Commission, are a flagship event aimed at promoting Kenya’s film industry and recognising excellence among actors, producers and filmmakers.
In recent years, industry players have consistently raised concerns about piracy, citing weak enforcement, slow regulatory processes and the rapid spread of digital platforms that make illegal distribution easier.
The remarks signal a shift towards a more assertive stance by the government, placing pressure on officials tasked with driving reforms in the sector.
The ultimatum now sets a two-week timeline for a policy response, with creatives expected to be part of the process as the government seeks to tighten control over content distribution and protect intellectual property rights.