- Singer Michael Bundi expressed concerns about the delayed rollout directly to Moon Baz, the Creator Partnerships Lead for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at Meta
- Moon Baz reassured creators that the launch had not been cancelled
- Meta had announced plans to introduce monetisation opportunities for Kenyan users by June 2024
Kenyan Facebook creators may have to wait longer for monetisation opportunities as the country's political situation remains unstable.
Kenyan singer Michael Bundi recently took to Meta's platform Threads, to express his concerns about the delayed rollout. He directly addressed Moon Baz, the Creator Partnerships Lead for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at Meta.
Concerns raised by Michael Bundi
Michael Bundi's query highlighted the growing frustration among Kenyan creators regarding the delayed launch of Facebook monetisation.
He asked Moon Baz, "Hi Moon Baz, most of the people who were hopeful about Facebook monetisation in Kenya are losing hope that it may become a reality. Is there a possibility that the programme rollout was cancelled? Asking on behalf of the young creators in the 254."
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Response from Moon Baz
Moon Baz responded, reassuring creators that the rollout had not been cancelled but was merely postponed due to the current sensitive political climate in Kenya.
"We are still ready to launch! We are mindful that this is a sensitive moment in the country and out of respect we have paused the launch temporarily. We are hoping to launch very very soon!! The rollout was not cancelled," she stated.
Meta's initial plans
In March 2024, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced plans to introduce monetisation opportunities for Kenyan users by June 2024.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg revealed that President William Ruto had emphasised the need for creators to earn revenue directly from the platform, rather than relying solely on local product endorsements.
READ: Meta’s legal trouble with Kenya maybe settled in a Kenyan court
Monetisation tools for creators
Kenyan creators can look forward to several monetisation tools once the programme launches:
- Instream Ads on Facebook & Instagram Instream ads are image or video ads that appear before, during, or after a video, allowing advertisers to reach their target audience non-disruptively while users engage with video content.
- Instagram Gifts This feature allows creators to monetise their Reels content. Viewers can send virtual gifts to show their appreciation for the creators' work.
- Facebook Stars Facebook Stars enables followers to support creators by purchasing and sending Stars, appreciating their gaming, live, on-demand, photo, or text content.
READ: Easy ways Kenyans will make money on Facebook & IG [Eligibility & payments]
Eligibility for monetisation
Kenya will soon become an eligible country for these monetisation tools. To qualify, creators must meet the following criteria:
- Have more than 5,000 followers
- Be over 18 years old
- Have more than five active videos on their page
- Accumulate over 60,000-minute views in the last 60 days
- Comply with monetisation policies and community standards