Kenya launches major crackdown on 84 movie piracy sites

Dennis Itumbi has announced the beginning of a government-led crackdown on illegal movie and streaming websites as part of a broader effort to combat digital piracy and protect Kenya’s creative industry.

Speaking in a video shared on Friday, Itumbi said the government, working alongside the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Ministry of ICT’s anti-piracy committee, had already identified dozens of websites allegedly involved in distributing pirated film and television content.

According to Itumbi, the operation targets at least 84 websites believed to be facilitating copyright infringement and illegal streaming.

“We’ve already identified a number of illegal sites that have been driving this piracy,” Itumbi said in the video.

Among the sites he mentioned were Goojara, FTMovies, and 123Movies. He claimed some of the platforms attract millions of visits every month, citing Goojara as receiving approximately 18.8 million monthly visits.

Itumbi stated that a pilot enforcement phase would begin immediately before a wider nationwide implementation.

“These sites will go down,” he said.

The move signals a stronger enforcement approach by the government as concerns grow over revenue losses facing filmmakers, musicians, content creators and broadcasters due to online piracy.

Kenya’s film and digital content industry has long complained about widespread unauthorised distribution of local and international productions through illegal streaming platforms and Telegram channels. 

Industry stakeholders argue that piracy undermines investment in original productions and reduces earnings for creators.

The crackdown comes amid renewed government efforts to strengthen the country’s creative economy, which President William Ruto has repeatedly described as a key source of jobs and youth empowerment.

Itumbi recently took a leading role in coordinating creative economy initiatives within the Executive Office of the President, including policy discussions around copyright protection, monetisation, and digital distribution.

However, the proposed shutdown of streaming sites may also raise concerns among digital rights advocates regarding internet regulation, enforcement transparency and access to online content. 

Critics may question how authorities intend to implement the blocks and whether due legal processes will be followed.

The Communications Authority of Kenya has not yet publicly released the full list of affected websites or provided details on the enforcement framework.