Siaya: The government, through the Kenya Copyright Board, is reviewing the country's copyright laws to keep up with the demands of the current online environment, Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) Deputy Director Sharon Chahale Wata has said. Speaking in Siaya town on Tuesday, Wata said the Kenya Copyright Bill (amendment), 2026, seeks to align the protection of intellectual property with the 2010 constitution and ensure that the country's creatives are properly protected against exploitation.

According to Kenya News Agency, Wata, who is the Deputy Executive Director in charge of Training and Research, stated that the bill, currently undergoing public participation, provides wide protection in the online environment and seeks to expand the mandate of the copyright tribunal. She emphasized the importance of aligning with the 2010 Constitution, which specifically provides for the protection of intellectual property, and urged Kenyans to visit the KECOBO website to give their comments on the bill.

The director affirmed the board's commitment to enforcing copyright laws to ensure that Kenyan innovators receive value for their work. She encouraged individuals whose work has been infringed upon to contact the organization for redress. Addressing the occasion, KECOBO's Head of Human Resources, Ketty Arucy, challenged Kenyan content creators to observe national values while generating content, stressing the importance of promoting peace and unity over social ills.

Siaya County's Arts and Creative Economy docket representative Faith Otieno praised the board's efforts to protect the talents of the youth. Otieno highlighted that the County Government of Siaya no longer views the creative economy as a side activity, recognizing its contribution to entrepreneurship, employment, and the promotion of tourism, sports, and arts.

Creatives attending the forum described it as a valuable opportunity. David Marenya shared his experience of previously losing creative artworks to individuals who registered them outside the country, stating, "I am a beneficiary of KECOBO. Through the board, I have been able to register 15 copyrights." Millicent Atieno and Geoffrey Oduor encouraged young creatives to register their work with KECOBO.