Philippe Bresson and Grace Kahaki celebrating Best Director award at the Kalasha Awards on May 2, 2026./Courtesy
Award-winning television producers Philippe Bresson and Grace Kahaki have raised concerns over rampant piracy in Kenya’s creative industry, warning that illegal distribution of local productions is threatening investment and growth in the sector.
The two filmmakers spoke after a successful night at the 14th annual Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, where their crime drama Kash Money emerged among the biggest winners.
Their production company, Insignia Productions, received 18 nominations and won several top awards in the television categories, including Best TV Drama, Best Director and multiple acting awards. The wins earned the team Sh2.5 million following President William Ruto’s pledge of Sh500,000 for every category won.
Despite the celebrations, Bresson used the moment to highlight what he described as the biggest challenge facing filmmakers in Kenya.
“The first time we were on this stage was 2009; we had a special show called Changing Times,” Bresson recalled.
“17 years later, we are still making films and we do it because we love to. We have worked with Netflix, Showmax, and top TV stations, but the biggest challenge we are facing in the industry is piracy.”
He said many productions recognised at the Kalasha Awards had already been illegally shared on unauthorised platforms, hurting revenues and discouraging investment from streaming companies.
“Most of the people nominated for Kalasha, their shows have been pirated on many other platforms,” he said.
“Kenyans love content and are willing to pay for it, but the problem is piracy. Netflix and Showmax are not able to invest as much as they want because they are not getting the subscriptions they need. These are the issues that we are going through.”
Kahaki also celebrated the achievements of the production team behind Kash Money, describing the project as deeply personal and driven by passion.
“Kash Money was a labour of love,” she said.
“I am soooo proud of my Insignia Productions team! We did it! Our hardworking and talented crew. We did it!”
She thanked the cast, production partners and streaming platforms that supported the project, including Netflix and Okada Media.
“The cast that took a chance and believed in our vision, thank you. Congratulations to Lenana Kariba, Amara Tari, and John Sibi-Okumu for your awards!! You deserved them!” Kahaki said.
“I loved working with you as your director. Thank you to Netflix and Okada Media for giving us a chance. Asante.”
Their remarks come amid growing national debate over intellectual property protection and enforcement of anti-piracy laws in the country.
The issue has gained fresh attention following President Ruto’s recent calls for stronger measures to protect Kenya’s creative industry from piracy and illegal content distribution.
