Kisii County commissioner Chege Mwangi on Monday summoned film and music shop owners in Kisii town for a briefing on the importance of being licensed.
During the meeting that was held in Kisii town, Mwangi sought to enlighten the businessmen on the necessity of complying with the law, which he said many operators were ignoring.
The meeting was facilitated by a complaint made by officials from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), who claimed that many businesses are operating without licences meant to regulate the content they either sell or broadcast to consumers.
Despite being served by a letter from the county commissioner himself, most of the businessmen never attended the meeting.
According to Mwangi, the absence signified that the businessmen are not compliant with the law, and this defiance should not go unpunished.
“It is not a form of intimidation when I call you here, my mandate is to ensure the businessmen have security, peace and their businesses work within the confines of the law,” said Mwangi.
Addressing the KFBC officials, the commissioner urged them to proceed to court to obtain a warrant of arrest for those who are operating without licenses.
“Being adamant in obtaining licence is an act of non-compliance with the KFBC Act that does not allow one to operate an illegal business,” he added.