By Philomena Gitau
It has been exactly 2 years since the launch of a crackdown on PSVs for the exhibition of harmful content by the Kenya Film Classification Board.
The atmosphere is somber and the scribes are seated, the cameras are set, readily, eagerly and anticipating for Dr. Ezekiel Mutua to walk in. He’s the C.E.O of the Kenya Film Classification Board in Kenya. This meeting follows numerous complaints from the public about Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) exhibiting inappropriate and unrated film content.
According to the Film Classification Board, this is in contravention of Section 12 of the Films and Stage Plays Act in the Kenyan Law which states that ‘Persons exhibiting any film to which the public are admitted must be registered by the Board and issued with a certificate‘.
To ensure that every party concerned is involved in the campaign for clean content in the PSVs, the Board held meetings with the representatives of the PSVs including the leadership of the Matatu Welfare Association.
“Many vehicles have since complied with our regulations and either pulled down the screens or applied our classification guidelines to ensure that the content exhibited is suitable for family viewing and listening”, said Dr. Mutua.
Adding “However, we are saddened to learn that there are rogue drivers and conductors who have defied our regulatory guidelines and have turned their vehicles into discotheques, exhibiting dirty content with impunity and inconveniencing their passengers”.
According to the Kenyan Law Section 12(2 & 3) of Cap 222, no film should be distributed, exhibited or broadcast, either publicly or privately, unless the Board has examined it and issued a certificate of approval. Failure to comply, the guilty shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh. 100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both (Section 32 of Cap 222).
According to the Film Classification Board, some of the top Radio Stations we have around including Classic 105, Kiss 100, Radio Jambo and Ghetto Radio are said to be airing adult content especially in the morning hours, and the unfortunate thing is that some school bus drivers switch on to these stations when ferrying young kids to school. A number of vernacular stations, too, air content that is in contravention of the Programming Code and the Watershed Period.
Following these developments, KFCB will from the 4th of February, 2020, embark on a countrywide crackdown on PSV operators who double up as film exhibitors or whose exhibition licenses have expired. “This is a move that is meant to protect members of the public, particularly children, from exposure to harmful content”, said Dr. Ezekiel Mutua.
According to the KFCB guidelines, the Exhibition License fee remains to be Kshs. 2,000 per year. “PSVs are not video dens, and any operator who wishes to engage in film exhibition must comply with the requirements of the law by obtaining exhibitor’s licenses for KFCB”, concluded Dr. Mutua.
