The Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) Chief Executive Ezekiel Mutua has announced that Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) with screens will now be required to obtain licences to show content.
The moral cop called out the transport sector for showing content in their vehicles yet they were not part of the broadcasting sector.
“Those who have mounted screens in their vehicles, they should either remove them or take licences for the right content,” said Dr Mutua.
Section 12 of the Films and Stage Plays Act makes it an offence for any person to “exhibit any film at an exhibition to which the public are admitted or distribute such film” unless he is registered as an exhibitor or distributor by the KFCB and issued with a certificate.
The Act further prohibits the distribution, exhibition or broadcasting, either publicly or privately of any film or class of film that has not been examined and approved by the KFCB.
Since the Film and Stage Plays Act defines “public exhibition” as “an exhibition to which the public are admitted, whether on payment or gratuitously,” PSVs that display audio-visual content can be classified as executing a public exhibition function.
However, on the other hand, PSVs cannot be classified as broadcasters, but they need to pay Sh2,000, failure to which they face charges of violating the Films And Stage Plays Act.
Any person who is found guilty of an offence under Films And Stage Plays Act shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Sh100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both.
Screening of the content in the vehicles is considered as public exhibition, Dr Mutua insisted adding that screening of unrated content in PSVs and exposure of children to obscenity goes against the Films and Stage Plays Act Cap 222, the Sexual Offences Act of 2006 and Children’s Act.
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