ENTERTAINMENT AND TELECOMS - FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

As I browsed through my Facebook page, I couldn’t help but notice how overwhelmed I was by the number of invitations to events; most of them with a featured artiste set to perform. You’ve probably experienced it too. My friend Zoe Prudence Glorious, a fourth year student at Daystar University, always says that she wishes that she would be in many places at once. There seems to be so much to do these days and yet, so little time.

For the past several years, the entertainment industry has been marked by growth and intense overhaul. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Statistical Abstract of 2009 reported that motion pictures and other entertainment services injected 366.90 million shillings to the economy.

Today, Kenyans are able to earn a living from the arts. There was, however, a time that this was not the case. Some Daystar University students have enjoyed their moments in the limelight. One is such as a fourth year student popularly known by his stage name; Pepe Haze.

His debut in the movie 'Shuga' earned him a clean 120,000 shilling pay. Before this, Pepe Haze would be seen performing at Nairobi spoken word events such as Slam Africa and Poetry at Discovery. “I was in the right place at the right time and now I can say that I am well on my way to achieving my dream.” Pepe Haze is currently working on an EP, or Extended Play which is longer than a single and shorter than an album, to promote himself.

Chisomo Nkhoma is another Daystar student that is making a living in the arts. He has a debut album titled ‘Love is Grey’ and earns ten thousand per show in a month. “The album has been received well here in school but I am currently working on making an impact in the industry at large. My message is of hope and peace.”

On a different note, how much time do you spend on the phone be it talking or browsing the internet? The findings would be baffling. The telecommunications sector is another fast paced sector of the economy. Since its liberalization in 1999, the telecommunications sector is now characterized by competition and price wars.

Currently, there are four mobile service providers namely Safaricom, Airtel, Yu, and Orange. In a research report carried out in 2010 titled The Contribution of Mobile Phones to the Kenyan Economy, employment figures in the sector are estimated at approximately 3.5 million people.

This sector has also been characterized by innovation with money transfer services such as MPESA for Safaricom and Zap for Airtel. These services have changed the way people live with business transactions such as paying bills, payment of wages, buying of goods all able to be done with a single click of a button. They are also very effective and cases of fraud are very minimal.

The increased investment in the sector and large amounts of profit contribute greatly to the country’s revenue. The telecommunications and entertainment sector are what I like to call friends with benefits. This indirect partnership has resulted in additional employment opportunities and a boost to the careers of budding artistes in the entertainment industry. Numerous events that take place in the country are heavily funded by mobile service providers. In addition, local actors and musicians are popularly featured in advertisements by the organizations.

It is clear that there are numerous opportunities in both sectors. It’s about time that the Kenyan youth stopped complaining that there are no jobs and began to build an entrepreneurial spirit.

(583 words)

Lilian Koki

08-0739