The annual Nairobi Festival, a joyous fair to be held each December to showcase and celebrate the “spirit of the city,” has been announced by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
During a courtesy call from the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, Governor Sakaja announced the Nairobi Festival will take place after the celebrations for Jamhuri Day on December 12.
According to him, the festival would feature food, the arts, matatu art awards, and displays on designated city streets.
“In December, we will set aside some streets to display culture, food, creativity, have the nganya awards for the best done matatus, have rugby, football and basketball tournaments and many other activities,” he said.
Sakaja also directed the amendment of “archaic” laws which he said have inhibited photography, videography, film and the creative industry in Nairobi.
“When we say we want to be pro-business it is not just passive to stop harassment of traders but we want to be proactive to facilitate and promote. There are many archaic laws including those that hamper creativity and innovation and we are going to weed those out,” he said.
The Governor at the same time welcomed partnership with the Chamber of Commerce to improve the ease of doing business within Nairobi.
“Businesspeople should spend more time doing business and not chasing compliance issues,” he said.
Creatives, especially photographers and videographers, have for long been engaged in a tussle with City Hall officials over requirements to be allowed to shoot in the capital.
Usually, they have had to obtain a permit from the Department of Filming Services, through a filming agent, a letter from the police, and fork out amounts of up to around Ksh.5,000 for a single day.
