Kenya Proposes New Copyright Bill to Combat Illegal Streaming of Movies and Live Sports

Kenya has proposed the Copyright and Related Rights Bill, 2026, in Parliament, which aims to establish a robust framework to protect creative works in the digital age and to effectively stop illegal streaming of movies and sports by blocking illegal websites.

Live sports, such as football, derive their primary value from being watched in real-time. For many Kenyans, sharing links to sites like Cricfy and 123movies on social media to watch movies or live sports, such as the English Premier League, has become common practice. However, the proposed Bill for 2026 specifically targets these popular free streaming platforms.

Section 83 of the Bill introduces specialized measures for live events. Rights holders, such as broadcasters who own the exclusive rights to air matches, can apply to the Copyright Disputes Tribunal for a preemptive injunction to block unauthorized access. To match the speed of the digital world, the Tribunal is mandated to decide on these applications within 72 hours to prevent manifest prejudice to the rights holder.

Under Section 41, broadcasting organizations are granted the exclusive right to authorize or prohibit the communication of their broadcasts to the public, specifically including internet streaming. This means that any pirate site re-streaming a match without permission is in direct violation of these related rights. Furthermore, Section 68 clarifies that communication to the public includes making a work available via electronic transmission in a way that allows users to access it at a time and place of their choosing.

Read Also: Crypto Bill Passed by Kenya’s Parliament, Awaits Presidential Assent

The Bill also sets clear expectations for online intermediaries, such as social media sites or hosting platforms where illegal links are often shared. While these platforms enjoy safe harbor protection from liability, this protection is conditional. To maintain it, an intermediary must remove or disable access to infringing content within forty-eight hours of receiving a valid takedown notice. If a platform repeatedly fails to comply, it faces administrative fines of up to five hundred thousand shillings (KES 500,000) for each subsequent violation.

For those who knowingly operate these illegal streams, the consequences are severe. Section 76 classifies the unauthorized rebroadcasting or distribution of signals as a criminal offense. First-time offenders face fines of up to five times the market value of the legitimate work or imprisonment for up to seven years. Subsequent convictions can result in even higher fines and penalties of up to ten years in prison.

Beyond enforcement, the Bill seeks to ensure that revenue generated from digital uses of content, including streaming, is distributed equitably. By establishing a Copyright Disputes Tribunal with original jurisdiction over online blocking applications, Kenya is positioning its legal system to defend the commercial integrity of live sports in the digital era.

This legislative shift ensures that the game remains a viable industry, protecting the investments of broadcasters and the rights of the creators behind the screen. If the bill passes, these illegal sites may become a thing of the past, forcing many who rely on them to transition to paid legal alternatives.