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Kenya is well known for having a lively audience ready to receive and appreciate top notch entertainment. From music to films, our country has a well-structured multi-billion shillings industry that constantly keeps us entertained and yearning for more.

However, a closer look at the industry proves that it fails to meet its potential due to a number of deep rooted challenges, one of them being exploitation. For the longest time, the Kenyan entertainment scene has been trying to eradicate the runaway exploitation to no avail, with the effects streaming down to the creatives themselves.

Stakeholders in the creative industry always  seem to be to be living wholesome, enjoyable lives which
leaves everyone envying their lifestyle. However, as we all know, even the best of professions and
careers face challenges in their lives once in a while, and the creative industry hasn’t been  spared either.  As a matter of fact, various singers, rappers, actors, and even instrumentalists have come forth and admitted to going through tough times in their careers.

One of the main concerns raised by people in the creative industry is exploitation. The creative industry
is known to be one of the markets with high value, making it attractive for individuals keen on exploiting others. Exploitation, specifically financial, has skyrocketed in the past few years. Creatives have long been complaining of breaches in financial contract agreements, some to the point of languishing in bankruptcy. This has become growing cancer that if not checked, might spell downfall for the industry.

In Kenya, one of the most affected sectors is the film industry. Sources from within this blooming industry indicate that the problems in this industry are already deeply rooted.  A matter of fact, a majority of the creatives in this industry indicate that even though the they give their all while on the set, the remuneration is ussually inadequate.

A while back, some creatives took to Twitter to express their struggles behind the scenes. Some of the recurring forms of exploitation raised by the angry but talented actors included payment issues, and long working hours. Some of the well known production companies were put on blast under the hashtag, #KECreativesDeserveBetter, which involved creatives calling out the agencies and companies that had been oppressing them . Some of the agencies which came under scrutiny included Ginger Ink Films and OneFineDayFilms. In fact, most of them claimed that the exploitations had been going on for years.

This campaign was being spearheaded by Likarion Wainaina, a famous Kenyan creative whose efforts led
to the success of the Super Modo Film. Released in 2018, this internationally co-produced film was
widely appreciated by the film enthusiasts both locally and internationally. This film made its way to the
famous Academy Awards among the Best Foreign Language Films category.  Also, the film got high ratings on renowned such as IMDb. However, even with all these wins and recognition, Wainaina has nothing to show for it, up to this day.

What makes things worse is that Wainana’s case is just a drop in the ocean, which only goes on to prove
that there is a lot of underhand deals which go on behind the camera. Another good example of the exploitation of creatives is the Nairobi Half Life film.  This was arguably one of the best things that the Kenyan film industry had produced. The show rose among the ranks to become one of the popularly acclaimed Kenyan masterpieces.

However, the sad part of the story is that not so long ago, the scriptwriter of this gem, Matathia Charles, was spotted begging in Nairobi’s streets. The irony of the story is how his life took a turn around and mirrored what was being showcased in the film. Charles, who had held writing and editing jobs prior to the film, has netizens up in arms regarding the plight of such creatives. It was expected that for a show that was hugely appreciated by film enthusiasts, Charles should be eating the fruits of his creativity up to date.

The public outcry over the plight of Charles even prompted the Kenya Film and Classification Board to release a press statement claiming that they would put in more effort in protecting and integrating the talent in the industry. Charles’ case was attributed to issues such as copyright infringements, misuse of talent, poor business conduct and practices, and lack of certification.

The board also confirmed that it had now come to their attention how rotten the industry has become.
However, this was met by opposition and differing opinions from creatives about the exploitation,
claiming that the problem has been there for quite a long time. Filmmakers and stuntmen claimed that
they have been turned into puppets by the agencies and companies, leaving them with no option but to
comply with the demands of their oppressors.

Some of them even claimed that when auditioning for films and TV shows, they are not given even the chance to negotiate the pay. Apparently, by the time you are accepted, the terms are already set, and all you have to do is accept, failure to which you will get replaced. To make it worse, the filmmakers and actors have indicated that they no other choice but to accept the terms due to the fear of being blacklisted which could mean a loss of income.

In an interview, Asseto, a renowned actor and stuntman expressed his numerous frustrations in the
industry. He has worked on both local and international films, making appearances in films such as Sense
8, Rafiki, and Taking the Falk. He claims that the exploitation setbacks he has come across in his career
are one too many  to keep count. Having been  on the receiving end of policies crafted by brutal production houses, Asseto says that he nearly even missed out on his part in Sense 8 due failed contract negotiations.

Apparently, the agency wanted him to be paid under a single contract even after being required to take up two roles. Even though the agency finally agreed to improve the terms of the contract, he still feels like he was exploited. For example, Sense 8’s producer claimed that the film had a budget of close to Ksh. 500 Million per episode. However, he took home as little as 250,000 in total for his role in the film. He also indicated that, that those taking part in the film’s second season are earning even less.

Asseto claims that it is not the film industry alone that has these issues, he indicated that the creatives in the advertisement industry are also being exploited. Artists, actors, and others taking part in advertisements are also being underpaid and robbed of their efforts. For example, he did an advert for a local TV station back in 2004 and pocketed Ksh. 100,000. Years later, the rates have apparently dropped drastically whereby the advert that he did might not even help him make 50,000 today.

The music industry also has its fair share of exploitation of creatives. For example, some people expect these
musicians to offer their services for free. . The question remains, do creatives have to always prove that their input, effort, and time are of high value?

Another form of exploitation of musicians by agencies is when they are told to make submissions of say a jingle for brand campaigns.  Afterward, they might hire you if they really like your work or it suits their preferences. However, what will happen to those who put in their blood, sweat, and tears into the work but didn’t make it to the final cut? They don’t even receive any compensation, but the work submitted will still remain with the agency.  Anyone who has worked in the music industry will tell you that for a project to be
successfully concluded and the final work release, a lot of time, work, and resources are used. In the case of musicians,  they have to pay producers, sound engineers, video directors, which is not cheap. Therefore, using their work for free means that all those resources go down the drain, especially if they don’t even land the jobs.

In such situations, it would be best for these creatives to stand against such exploitative brands by
denying them the chance to rip them off their work. This includes turning down such opportunities and
only offering their services on one condition; they get paid in return. No creative should ever accept
offering their services or products for free.

Still on financial exploitation, most creatives have raised their concerns on delayed payments and in some cases non-payment. For example in Kenya, there have been numerous cases in the past where artists complain about organizers in events and festivals not upholding their part of the deal. You find a scenario where an artist has been called upon to entertain the masses in a specific event after agreeing on a certain
amount. After timely delivery of their work, the organizers might pay a certain amount and promise to
pay up the rest later, or even fail to pay them at all.

Bearing in mind the fact that these artists have put in hours of preparation for the performance, hired dancers, instrumentalists, and such means that not receiving their dues in time is quite a setback. These payments might even be delayed for quite a long time, or even not get paid up at all. The worst thing is that whenever these artists try to humbly ask for what is duly theirs, they met a deaf ear or are answered with disrespect and contempt. Such unfavorable working environments and unpaid gigs make it hard for them to pay their bills, invest in their trade, or even uplift their ways of life. In fact, it is common for such people to slowly fall into mental health problems due to the financial constraints.

The good thing about this is that with the growth of social media, it is now easier for these creatives to
voice their concerns and raise awareness of what is happening behind the scenes. Twitter and
Instagram in particular have become a major tool where these people can come out and condemn such
bad behaviors. For example, back in 2018, the Kenyan modeling industry was in the spotlight on Twitter
after concerns and claims that the people involved were being heavily exploited. The issue, which was being handled by the angry KOT, hit the airwaves for several days.

Victims spanned from models to photographers, and make-up artists, all of who were complaining about being exploited and made a fool out of.  Their complaints involved delayed payments while still being
expected to show up for work and under unfavorable working conditions not to mention being treated disrespectfully. Couture Africa, a fashion magazine was one of the agencies which were named whereby frustrated creatives cited withheld payments, underpayment and at times even being forced to cover the magazine’s expenses from their own pockets.