Exploring reasons Kenya television broadcasts Nollywood movies

Abstract

This paper sought to explore why Kenya television airs Nollywood movies. The study adopted a qualitative research method. It targeted Citizen and Kiss Televisions’ production managers, focus groups and Nigerian Movie fans. The households were selected randomly. The research consulted documentary sources on Nigerian movies in Kenya. This included gathering information from the internet, Newspapers and research was done by Synovate on Nigerian movie audiences. The obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, percentages, and frequencies. The study concludes that given Nollywood’s great influence over African culture, such an effect is reinforced by the massive consumption of Nigerian movies by Kenyans and Africa as a whole. Many Nigerian video films are filled with religious overtones; therefore, many Africans see most Nigerian movies. These films portray values rooted in their countries of origin. Nigerian video films, as a representation of Nigerian culture, greatly influence an entire population of Africans due to similar cultural practices. The study recommends that Nigerian moviemakers emphasise African culture’s positive sides in their movies. This should be inclusive of marriage ceremonies, the bride prize, family dissolutions, the place of girl/boy child in the African context, African foods and so on. On the other hand, filmmakers should have fewer films on barbaric themes like witchcraft, human sacrifice, and blood thirst vampires. These kinds of movies portray Africa in a Negative way.