A Kenya where every creative talent has the opportunity, skills and support to build a thriving, globally competitive enterprise.
Empower Msanii
From talent to enterprise.
Turning Kenya's creative talent into businesses that pay, county by county.
Program snapshot
A national pipeline for creative enterprise.
Build the infrastructure Kenyan creatives are missing: somewhere to train, money to start and buyers who will pay.
Establish Kenya as East Africa's leading hub for creative enterprise by 2031.
50,000 creatives, 7 Creative Hubs, all 47 counties, over five years.
Why Empower Msanii?
Kenya has the talent. The missing piece is infrastructure.
Kenya's creative talent already commands attention across Africa and the diaspora, but much of the value is captured outside the country or not captured at all. Most creatives still operate informally without business skills, equipment, mentorship, financing or reliable access to markets.
The creative economy can absorb large numbers of young people at relatively low capital cost per job while strengthening the digital economy, preserving culture, driving innovation and expanding Kenya's global competitiveness.
Window of opportunity
Youth employment, digital growth and the creator economy are converging now.
Empower Msanii positions CYEF and its partners to help Kenya move ahead as a regional creative-economy hub.
What we do
Seven connected pillars that convert craft into income.
Discover Msanii
Identify high-potential creative talent nationwide, with deliberate reach into underserved counties.
Equip Msanii
Provide affordable access to professional studios and production equipment through Creative Hubs.
Fund Msanii
Mobilize grants, guarantees and blended capital to unlock financing for creative enterprises.
Showcase Msanii
Put Kenyan creative talent in front of audiences, investors and media nationally and globally.
Educate Msanii
Build technical, business, financial and digital skills that convert craft into income.
Mentor Msanii
Connect emerging creatives with established industry and business leaders for sustained guidance.
Connect Msanii
Link creative enterprises to brands, buyers and regional and international markets.
Expected impact
Five-year targets designed for national reach.
Inclusive by design
The campaign includes deliberate participation pathways for women, persons with disabilities, underserved counties and marginalized communities.
Partnership opportunities
Where government, corporate and development partners can plug in.
Financial support
Core, hub or component-specific funding, including capitalization of the Creative Enterprise Fund.
Equipment & technology
In-kind production equipment, digital platforms, AI tools and connectivity for Creative Hubs.
Training & mentorship
Masterclasses, bootcamps and structured mentor placements from corporate and industry teams.
Scholarships
Sponsored training cohorts, certifications and hub memberships for underserved creatives.
Market access
Brand partnerships, distribution agreements and inclusion in marketing and design briefs.
Hubs & innovation
Co-funding of Regional Creative Hubs and joint innovation or AI-in-creativity programmes.
Joint campaigns
Co-branded national awareness and showcase campaigns that amplify shared impact.
Why partner with CYEF?
Trusted community access with authentic creative leadership.
National reach
Direct, trusted access to young creatives across all 47 counties, not only Nairobi.
Mobilization power
Proven ability to mobilize communities and sustain public visibility at national scale.
Convening credibility
Trusted relationships spanning government, media and the private sector.
Delivery track record
Grassroots experience in youth mentorship and creative-community engagement, now scaling into a national programme.
Authentic leadership
Led by a practitioner from within the creative community it serves, strengthening credibility and uptake.
Join us
Help build Kenya's creative economy.
Empower Msanii invites government, corporate and development partners to unlock creative talent, strengthen the digital and creative economy and build sustainable livelihoods for the next generation.