Advertisements on betting, alcohol and select contraceptives have been classified as unsuitable for watershed periods in new Kenya Films Classifications Board (KFCB) guidelines that came into effect Tuesday.
Watershed is the period between 5 am to 10 pm when children are assumed to be awake and exposed to television programming.
KFCB states that broadcasters and companies placing the adverts against the dictates of the law shall be penalised at least sh500,000 which could stretch to tens of millions depending on the offense.
KFCB CEO Ezekiel Mutua stated that only government lotteries and contraceptives with public health safety messages are allowed to air during the watershed period.
The films board has stated that some offensive billboards spotted on the streets will be marked for demolition within 14 days of the advertising agencies being alerted.
KFCB has been aggressive on content regulation with Coca-Cola being forced to edit out a kissing scene on a TV advert following the films board’s intervention.
Mr Mutua claimed the scene was offensive to family values and prompted the organisation to either have it edited or banned.
YouTube has also faced KFCB’s wrath when it was ordered to remove a music video with a strong same-sex relationship theme on “moral grounds”.
