Sakaja announces annual Nairobi Festival to celebrate ‘vibe of the city’

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced the annual Nairobi Festival, a fun-filled fair to be held every December to display and celebrate the “vibe of the city”.

Speaking on Thursday when he received a courtesy call from the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Governor Sakaja said the Nairobi Festival will be held after the December 12 Jamhuri Day celebrations. 

He said the fete will bring together food, the arts, matatu art awards, as well as exhibitions 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.