Nairobi City County has clarified that new filming charges introduced under the Nairobi City County Finance Act, 2026, do not target ordinary content creators, influencers, or young people making digital videos. Instead, county officials confirmed that the rates apply strictly to professional and commercial film productions that rely heavily on public spaces and municipal infrastructure.
Under the updated schedule, local commercial filming costs Sh8,000 per shoot, while external commercial filming attracts a fee of Sh50,000. The framework sets music video production fees at Sh10,000, while religious or private filming incurs an Sh8,000 charge per shoot. Content creators operating permanent commercial studios must pay an annual fee of Sh40,000.
The county issued the statement following public concerns and misinterpretations surrounding the “Tourism Levy and Entertainment Tax” section of the act.
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Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed that the administration designed the legislation to manage large-scale commercial shoots rather than routine social media posts.
“These charges were never intended to target ordinary content creators, influencers, or young people creating digital content. Our goal is to regulate professional and commercial film productions that require significant use of public spaces and infrastructure,” Sakaja said.
The governor highlighted the operational distinctions between independent digital creators and full-scale commercial production crews.
“There is a clear difference between a content creator shooting a video for social media and a large film production arriving with a crew, equipment, vehicles, and requiring the temporary closure or controlled use of a road. That is who we are targetting,” he said.
Sakaja noted that major productions bring specialized equipment, multiple vehicles, and heavy footprints that occasionally require temporary road closures or controlled access to municipal facilities.
Beyond location filming, the Finance Act outlines regulatory fees across Nairobi’s expanding digital entertainment and broadcast sectors. Local streaming services face an annual levy of Sh100,000, while digital content hubs will pay Sh80,000 annually. Influencers hosting monetized public gatherings, including ticketed events, brand activations, and public appearances, will pay Sh10,000 per event.
Television stations will pay an annual fee of Sh200,000, radio stations will pay Sh150,000, and commercial cinemas or theaters face a Sh100,000 annual charge per screen. Online entertainment events will attract a Sh15,000 permit fee.
The act also establishes revised noise permit fees across different venues and events. Weddings held in residential areas require a Sh20,000 permit, while garden weddings incur a Sh10,000 charge. Nightclubs face tiered annual license fees ranging from Sh20,000 to Sh100,000 depending on guest capacity, while short-term evening events require a Sh100,000 permit.
Governor Sakaja reiterated the county government’s commitment to supporting the creative economy as a major source of youth employment and city branding.
“Since we came into office, we have deliberately created space for filmmakers and content creators to work freely in Nairobi because we recognize the creative sector as both a source of livelihoods and a powerful way of marketing our city to the world. We will not introduce measures that stifle that creativity,” Sakaja said.
He reaffirmed that the county will maintain an open environment for everyday digital creators while applying structured regulatory rules to heavy commercial operations using city infrastructure.
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