The document provides information from a presentation by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) on broadcast content classification. It outlines KFCB's vision to regulate film content globally and its mandate to examine all broadcast content for age ratings and ensure content unsuitable for children is not aired during watershed hours. It describes the board's six-point classification system and process for rating content based on themes like violence, sex, drugs, and hate speech. Broadcasters are responsible for airing content suitable for the watershed period and providing consumer advisories.

1. KENYA FILM
CLASSIFICATION BOARD
PRESENTATION ON..

2. BROADCAST CONTENT
CLASSIFICATION
PRESENTED BY:
EMMAH IRUNGU
BROADCAST COMPLIANCE DIVISION
KENYA FILM CLASSIFICATION BOARD.

3. VISION
To be a world film content regulator.

4. MISSION
To safeguard national values
and norms through efficient,
effective and professional film
regulatory services.

5. OUR MANDATE
• The Board is mandated to regulate the creation,
broadcasting, possession, distribution and exhibition
of films in the country with a view to promote
national values and morality as enshrined in Article
10 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
• Section 12 (2) of Cap 222 stipulates that No film or
class of film shall be distributed, exhibited or
broadcast, either publicly or privately, unless the
Board has examined it and issued a certificate of
approval in respect thereof

6. OUR MANDATE
• Further, the Board is empowered by the Kenya
Information and Communications Act of 1998,
Cap 411A and as amended by the Kenya
Information and Communications (Amendments)
Act of 2013 and through the Kenya
Communication (Broadcasting) regulations 2009
Section 34 (1) (a) to ensure content which
depicts, contains scenes or are of the language
intended for adult audience are not aired during
the watershed period (5a.m. to 10 p.m.)

7. SPIRIT OF BOARD’S MANDATE
• contribute to the positive transformation of Kenyan
society through the examination and classification of film
and video works, whilst balancing the need to preserve
freedom of expression and of the media within the law
• protect the members of the public from any undesirable
content with the potential to cause social harm, offend
decency or prejudice maintenance of public order.

8. BOARD’S CLASSIFICATION
FUNCTION
In accordance with Section 15 of Cap 222 and in recognition that
film/broadcast content has the power to influence one’s choices
and decisions hence the need for rating to determine age
suitability, the Board regulates the creation, broadcasting,
possession, distribution and exhibition of films in the country by:
•Examining every film (any recorded audiovisual medium)
including TV programs, video games, infomercials,
commercials/adverts, and internet links and every film poster
submitted under the Act for purposes of classification;
•Imposing age restrictions on viewership;
•Giving consumer advice, having regard to the protection of
women and children.

9. HOW WE CLASSIFY
The examination and classification process for both
films andTV programs is guided by the Film
Classification Guidelines which contain six thematic
areas, namely:
•Sex, obscenity and Nudity;
•Crime, violence and imitable behavior;
•Occult and horror;
•Drugs, alcohol and other related harmful
substances;
•Religion and community; and
•Propaganda for war, hate speech and incitement.

10. VIOLENCE AND CRIME
• The depiction of violence may frighten, unnerve,
unsettle or invite imitation, especially from
children.Therefore, only mild portrayals that are
relevant to the plot may be allowed in films
meant for children. For the higher classifications,
a stronger depiction of violence is permitted if
it is justified by context.
• Restricted in this thematic area is work that
induces, incites, justifies, reinforces or glorifies
violence or terror or its perpetrators or contains
anything against the maintenance of law and order
or promote anti-national attitudes

11. SEX, OBSCENITY AND NUDITY
The classifiable elements in this thematic area include:
• Exposure or fondling of female
breasts/human/animal sexual organs.
• Explicit images of sexual activity
• Behavior/language that is sexually offensive
• Undressed
• Indecent exposure - A person is guilty of indecent
exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open
and obscene exposure of his or her person
• Portrayal of children being coerced and or induced to
engage in sexual activity……

12. Restricted in this thematic area is a film,
poster or program that portrays,
encourages, justifies or glorifies perverted
or socially unacceptable sex practices
such as incest, pedophilia, homosexuality
or any form of pornography; content
showing women as tools of sex; content
endorsing sexual violence.

13. OCCULT AND HORROR
The classifiable elements in this thematic area include:
• Use of frightening elements and scary scenes
• Portrayal of magic/super natural forces/events and related
practices such as hypnotism, mind-reading, faith healing.
• Portrayal of exorcism (process/action to get rid of evil spirits).
• The paranormal or mysterious events/facts that cannot be
explained by science
• Human or animal sacrifice……

14. Restricted in this thematic areas are films,
posters or programs that promote or
encourage occult practices, black magic,
witchcraft and similar practices and instill fear
or revulsion about the consequences of not
following such practices. Classification of
horror films will take into consideration
the impact and shock effect of such films
to ensure that children are protected from
disturbing materials.

15. DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND OTHER
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES
•The classifiable elements in this thematic
area include:
•Use of illegal drugs
•Use of tobacco or tobacco products
•Abuse or misuse of drugs
•Use of alcohol, solvent or other harmful
products

16. Restricted in this thematic area is film,
poster or program that: portrays children
being used in production, trafficking and
distribution of harmful drugs without any
real context; justify, promote, encourage or
glamorize abuse or misuse of drug related
products; attempts to associate drugs,
alcohol and other illegal substances with
sexual prowess and or a glamorous or
successful lifestyle.

17. RELIGION AND COMMUNITY
•The classifiable elements in this thematic
area include:
•Profanity in regard to a particular
religion/community
•Distorting, demeaning, or depicting
religious/community symbols, rituals or
practices in a derogatory manner.
•Use of expletives with religious/community
associations

18. PROPAGANDA FOR WAR, HATE SPEECH AND
INCITEMENT
• The classifiable elements in this thematic area include:
• Communication manipulating people’s attitude toward war
• Repetitious emotional phrases e.g. war on terror
• Exaggerated or misrepresented facts
• Name calling - use of offensive names to induce rejection,
ridicule or condemnation
• Band wagon - a tool used in propaganda to rally people behind a
course
• Demonizing of the ‘enemy’

19. •Brainwashing
•Ethnic cleansing, massacre
Restricted in this thematic area is film, poster
or program that: invokes feelings of contempt,
hatred, hostility, violence or discrimination
against any person, group, and community
based on race, sex, pregnancy, marital status,
health status, colour, ethnic or social origin,
age, disability, language, culture, nationality
and religion; Inflammatory statements
encouraging people to raise against social
order

20. RATING
During examination the frequency and intensity of all
the below classifiable elements are put into a scale of
0 – 5: Based on context and this scale the rating is
given as indicated..
•0 – 1: Low impact classifiable elements – General
Exhibition (GE)
•2: Mild impact classifiable elements – Parental
Guidance (PG)
•3: Moderate impact classifiable elements - 16
•4: Strong impact classifiable elements -18
•5: Extreme impact classifiable elements –
Restricted.

21. BROADCAST REGULATION
•Broadcast regulation is guided by the
principle of watershed period drawn from
KICA.
• “Watershed” is used to describe time in television and radio
schedules after which material more adult in nature can be
broadcast.
• “Watershed Period” means the time between 5:00 a.m. and
10:00 p.m. or such other time as may be prescribed by the
Authority, within which content intended for adult audience is
not to be aired.

22. Kenya Information and Communications (Broadcasting)
Regulations of 2009 Section 34 stipulates that:
•All programmes broadcast between 5.00am and
10.00pm must be suitable for family listening and viewing.
•Any programmes or movies classified or rated by the
Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) as General
Exhibition (GE), Parental Guidance (PG) or rated 16 may
be aired during this period.
•Those rated as 18 are adult only and should strictly
be aired after 10 p.m. However advertisements are
either rated as either suitable or unsuitable for
watershed period due to their uniqueness.

23. •The transition from family-oriented to a more
adult programming after the watershed period
of 10.00pm shall be gradually executed.
•Consumer advice such as warnings, labeling,
classification details and other
announcements should be given prior to the
telecast of the programme or its trailers.
•However, this does not diminish the
broadcaster’s responsibility for sensitive
scheduling of programmes to reduce the risk
of causing offence.

24. BOARD’S EFFORTSTO CLASSIFY
BROADCAST CONTENT
• The Board has sensitized media practitioners in the media
houses about broadcast content classification and age
suitability. They include KBC, NMG, SG, RAG, Media Max,
RMS and GBS all of who have been to our Boardroom.
• Sensitizing content producers (as suppliers of content to the
broadcast media) on varied platforms (Press conferences,
Kalasha, Board room sessions, round table, film festivals and
symposiums) about film/ broadcast content and child
protection.
• Mentoring film & media trainees from different media
training institutions so that we can empower them in
preparation for practice.

25. BROADCASTERS’WISHTO COMPLY
• The broadcast stations approached us to discuss the
modalities of having their content classified.We have
held meetings with among other media houses
Nation Media Group, MediaMax, GBS, ebruTV and
Family while we have been consulted by KBC,
Standard Group andYouthTV over the same issue
• Negotiations resulted in a classification requirement
which was shared with the broadcasters.
• The Board will implement this fully with effect from
1st
July 2016.

26. Broadcaster’s responsibilities
• Lastly we remind the broadcasters of their responsibilities as spelt
out in Section 46I of KICA as follows: All licensed broadcasters shall:
• provide responsible and responsive programming that caters for
the varied needs and susceptibilities of different sections of the
Kenyan community;
• ensure that Kenyan identity is developed and maintained in
programs;
• observe standards of good taste and decency;

27. • when controversial or contentious issues of public interest are
discussed, make reasonable efforts to present alternative
points of view, either in the same program or in other
programs within the period of current interest;
• ensure that advertisements, either in terms of content, tone or
treatment, are not deceptive or are not repugnant to good
taste;
• ensure that derogatory remarks based on ethnicity, race,
creed, colour and sex are not broadcasted;
• not broadcast a film that has not been approved or that has
been approved for exhibition subject to excisions except with
the consent of and subject to any conditions given by the
Kenya Film Classification Board.
Broadcaster’s responsibilities Cont….

28. CONTACTS• The Chief Executive Officer
UCHUMI HOUSE , 15TH
FLOOR
TEL: +254 020 2241804, 202250 600/247 591
FAX: +254 202251258
CELL: +254 701 741 228, 0737 622 760
EMAIL: info@kfcb.co.ke
Website: www.kfcb.co.ke
• REGIONAL OFFICES
Mombasa, Kisumu, Kakamega, Kisii, Eldoret, Nakuru, Nyeri,
Embu, Garissa

29. THANK YOU