Kenya launches Multi-Stakeholder Forum to combat digital piracy
Date: 2026-03-13
By: Robert Kwaku Annor
Kenya
has intensified efforts to safeguard creators and strengthen its creative
economy with the official opening of the National Multi-Stakeholder Forum on
Digital Piracy. The event, convened by Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet
Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, brought
together policymakers, industry leaders, and technology partners to address the
growing challenges of digital piracy and its economic impact.
Despite
existing legal frameworks such as the Copyright Act and institutions like the
Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), rapid technological advances and cross-border
digital distribution continue to threaten intellectual property. Estimates
indicate that Kenya loses approximately Ksh 92 billion annually due to piracy,
with an additional Ksh 17.3 billion in potential tax revenue foregone.
The
forum provided a platform to discuss practical solutions for protecting
creative works in the digital environment, informing future strategies to
attract investment, support creators, and enhance Kenya’s digital economy.
Key
participants included Mike Stano, Chair of Partners Against Piracy; Micheal
Schlesinger, Vice President of the Motion Picture Association; Elena Blobel,
Director of Litigation at the International Federation of the Phonographic
Industry (IFPI); and representatives from the Communication Authority of Kenya
and the Media Council of Kenya.
