Review of National Policy on Culture

The National Policy on culture was reviewed to align the policy to Constitution of Kenya 2010, SDG's and emerging issues in the culture sector.

The National Policy on Culture and Heritage is informed by Article 11 of the Constitution of Kenya that recognizes culture as the foundation of the nation and as cumulative civilization of the people of Kenya. It goes further to state that: the state shall promote all forms of national and cultural expressions through literature, the arts, traditional celebrations, science, communication, information, mass media, publications, libraries and other cultural heritage: and will recognize the role of science and indigenous technologies in the development of the nation; and promote the intellectual Property Rights of the people of Kenya. This policy therefore focuses on the outlined areas and also goes further to look into emerging issues such as the development of creative/cultural industries.

The National Policy on Culture and Heritage is responsive to the various international cultural instruments which Kenya has ratified and that form part of the law as espoused under the Constitution in Article 2(6). In this regard, the country is keen to take her cultural space in the region, to lead and collaborate in building and achieving Pan-African aspirations, and to deepen her participation as an integral member of the global community of nations.

The policy discusses the tangible and the intangible cultural heritage that enhances creativity and dialogue. It further recognizes the role of cultural heritage in augmenting sustainable development. It seeks to promote, preserve and safeguard all forms of indigenous knowledge, values and symbols, culinary art, traditional forms of recreation and entertainment for national identity and pride.

The policy recognizes the diversity of the language of the people of Kenya and aims to protect, preserve and promote the indigenous languages of Kenya and encourages every person to use, join and maintain cultural and linguistic associations. The policy proposes the establishment of a National Kiswahili Council to handle matters related to the development of the languages.

Development of the cultural creative industries such as arts and crafts, music, visual arts, publishing, cinema and the audio visual industry(s) is outlined. Cultural and creative industries play a significant role in the socio-economic development of a country; the activities in this sector contribute to social cohesion, foreign investment, tourism, employment and income generation. The policy statement pays attention to strengthening national capacities in development of creative industries while promoting marketing of cultural products for sustainable development.

The policy provides a framework for the development of a national identity, pride and patriotism, safeguarding and preserving Kenya's cultural heritage for posterity as well as ensuring that communities, practitioners and creators benefit from their cultural productions and innovations.