President William Ruto revealed on Monday that Kenya has officially placed a bid to host the Grammy Awards and has paid some Ksh. 500 million towards the same.
President Ruto spoke at a townhall meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) to commemorate the Hustler’s second anniversary, emphasising his administration’s commitment to strengthening Kenya’s creative industry and positioning the country as a global entertainment hub.
In April, President Ruto announced that Kenya had been chosen as one of four countries to participate in the Grammys through a collaboration with Grammy Global Ventures.
This collaboration aims to enhance Kenya’s engagement in the international creative industry.
During the announcement, President Ruto emphasised the importance of incorporating performing arts into Kenya’s educational system.
He proposed creating specialised training curricula for arts educators and emphasised key initiatives like the Department of Creative Economy and Talanta Hela, which aim to nurture and monetise local talent.
He also mentioned upcoming collaborations with Hollywood to help Kenya’s film industry and give local creatives access to global mAdd New Postarkets.
Meanwhile, Dennis Itumbi, Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, revealed on Monday that his office had instructed the State Department to facilitate payment for Kenya’s bid to host the African Grammy Awards.
“The President visited the USA, where he interacted with key players in the creative economy, including Hollywood stars at Tyler Perry Studios,” said Itumbi.
“One of the outcomes of those engagements is a focused effort to grow Kenya’s creative economy and establish Kenya as a hub for global entertainment events.”
Itumbi also stated that a representative from the Grammy Awards who attended the townhall will meet with President Ruto later this week over the matter.
“There is a gentleman here from the Grammys, and we’ve already instructed the State Department to make payments for Kenya to host the African Grammys headquarters,” said Itumbi.
In his response, President Ruto confirmed that the payment had already been made and assured the audience of his administration’s dedication to the project.
“We have already paid the Ksh. 500 million. This is not something we are planning to do; it’s already done,” President Ruto said. “I’m confident that the gentleman here from the Grammys can confirm that we’re on the right track to securing Kenya’s position in this exciting initiative.”
Dennis Itumbi revealed that the government is also bidding to host the World Creative Economy Conference in 2027, a move that would make Kenya the first African nation to host the prestigious event.
“I have already written to the President on behalf of the Creative Economy Coordination Office, proposing that Kenya formally begin its bid to host the World Creative Economy Conference in 2027,” said Itumbi.
“This would unlock tremendous opportunities for our creative economy and further position Kenya as a leader in this space.”
