Nairobi County has introduced a fresh set of charges targeting players across the digital entertainment and creative industries, bringing filmmakers, content creators, influencers, and streaming platforms into its revenue collection framework under the 2026 Finance Act.
What the New Fees Look Like
Under the new structure, local producers will pay Ksh8,000 for each commercial filming session, while external (foreign) productions will be charged Ksh50,000 per shoot — more than six times the local rate. Religious and private filming will also attract the Ksh8,000 fee, and music-video productions will be charged Ksh10,000 per production.
Content creators running studios will pay an annual fee of Ksh40,000. Streaming and digital platforms have not been spared either: local streaming platforms will be charged Ksh100,000 a year, while digital content platforms will pay Ksh80,000 annually. Influencers hosting monetised events will pay Ksh10,000 per event.
The county has also extended charges to more established media players. Television stations will pay Ksh200,000 annually, radio stations Ksh150,000, and cinemas and theatres Ksh100,000 per screen each year. Online entertainment events will attract a Ksh15,000 charge.
A Wider Net for the Digital Economy
The new fee structure effectively pulls a much larger share of Nairobi’s expanding digital entertainment economy into the county’s revenue base, covering everything from traditional film shoots to influencer-hosted events and purely online entertainment activity.
One area likely to draw scrutiny is the gap between local and external filming charges. An international or foreign production will now pay significantly more than a local one for the same type of commercial shoot, a distinction that could shape decisions on where productions choose to film.
Concerns for Independent Creators
The structure could weigh heavily on independent filmmakers and smaller content creators working with limited budgets. Because the filming charges apply per session rather than as a flat annual licence, producers running multiple shoots could see their costs add up quickly over the course of a project or year.
Influencers are also being formally absorbed into the county’s revenue system for the first time, with monetised events now subject to a Ksh10,000 charge. This comes as Nairobi’s creator economy continues to grow, with more social media personalities generating income through branded events, online advertising, and digital entertainment.
Streaming services and digital content platforms serving Nairobi’s fast-growing online audience will now also carry an added annual operating cost, with local streaming platforms facing the steepest charge at Ksh100,000 a year.
Questions Over Implementation
The new charges form part of a broader push by county governments to widen their revenue bases and tap into emerging sectors of the economy. However, questions remain over how Nairobi County will practically enforce the new fees — including how it will distinguish between different categories of filming, identify which events qualify as “monetised,” and monitor compliance among online-based businesses that may not have a physical presence in the county.
For the creative sector, the central concern is whether the added costs could discourage low-budget productions or make Nairobi a less attractive filming destination compared to other locations. At the same time, the move places the county government at the centre of a growing national conversation about how Kenya should regulate, tax, and benefit from its rapidly evolving digital economy.