ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has said Kenya loses an estimated Sh92 billion every year to digital piracy, warning that the vice is costing the government billions in lost tax revenue while undermining the country’s creative and technology sectors.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Kabogo said digital piracy also denies the Exchequer about Sh17 billion annually in taxes, reduces earnings for content creators and exposes consumers to cyber threats including malware, fraud and identity theft.
He spoke after receiving the report of the National Steering Committee on Digital Piracy, which was established following the inaugural National Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Digital Piracy held in March.
“The findings are significant. Digital piracy costs Kenya approximately Sh92 billion every year, about Sh252 million every day. It denies the Exchequer an estimated Sh17 billion annually in taxes,” Kabogo said.
According to the report, the vice affects musicians, filmmakers, authors, journalists, software developers and sports broadcasters by denying them legitimate earnings from their work.
Kabogo added that digital piracy has increasingly become linked to transnational organised crime and warned that the illegal trade continues to expose unsuspecting consumers to cybercrime.
He said tackling the problem decisively could create or sustain more than 50,000 quality jobs in Kenya’s creative and technology sectors.
To address the challenge, the report recommends the establishment of an Inter-Agency Digital Piracy Enforcement Framework coordinated by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The framework will bring together the Kenya Copyright Board, the Communications Authority of Kenya, the Media Council of Kenya and the Copyright Tribunal to strengthen enforcement against digital piracy.
Kabogo said the proposed system is designed to ensure copyright infringement cases are handled promptly while paying special attention to protecting live sporting events, premium content and dealing firmly with persistent commercial-scale offenders.
He, however, said enforcement would remain within the law and respect constitutional rights.
“The framework contains strong safeguards. Every enforcement action will be subject to due process, consistent with the Constitution’s protection of both intellectual property and freedom of expression,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said the ministry will immediately begin implementing key recommendations contained in the report.
Among the priority actions is the launch of a nationwide public awareness campaign on digital piracy.
The government will also begin formulating a National Policy on Digital Piracy through a multi-stakeholder process and work with the Attorney General’s Office and the Kenya Copyright Board to harmonise proposed legal reforms with the Copyright and Related Rights Bill, 2026, which is currently under public consultation.
Kabogo said the government remains committed to protecting creators while making legitimate digital content more accessible and affordable to consumers.
“The government will continue to support creators, enforce the law against those who profit from infringement, and work with industry to make legal content more accessible and affordable,” he said.
He also thanked the National Steering Committee on Digital Piracy, led by chairperson Waweru Kimani and vice chairperson Roy Gitahi, for delivering the report within its 100-day Rapid Results Initiative mandate.
