By Manasseh Nyagah
There was a time when becoming a media personality in Kenya meant waiting for a television station, radio programme, or production house to open its doors. Today, a smartphone, an idea, and the courage to publish can take a Kenyan creator to an audience of thousands or even millions. That is more than a technological shift; it is a transformation of our economy, our culture and the way we tell our stories.
The numbers tell us that content creation is no longer a side hustle. In May 2026, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy said Kenya’s digital content industry was valued at more than Sh1.27 trillion, with smartphone penetration exceeding 83 per cent. The 2026/27 budget also allocated Sh8.6 billion to the digital superhighway and creative economy, recognising the sector's growing role in economic growth and youth employment.
There is another figure that deserves our attention. An OdipoDev analysis of more than 35,000 Kenyan creators found that influencers earned an estimated Sh1.07 billion from brand-sponsored content in 2025, while the top 10 creators accounted for about Sh296 million. Yet the same research exposes an important reality: attention does not automatically translate into income. Instagram converted 40.8 per cent of views among top creators into paid partnerships, while TikTok monetised only 12.1 per cent.
