DENNIS ITUMBI AT TTNT SEASON 6 🔥 | Exclusive Interview, Reactions & Red Carpet Highlights

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In this exclusive interview marking the sixth season of TTNT with Blessed Njugush, Dennis Itumbi reflects on his continued role leading special projects within Kenya's Creative Economy Coordination Office at the Ministry of ICT. He highlights three key initiatives currently underway: securing copyright protections for local artists against illegal streaming sites, which number around 84 and are being actively targeted; pursuing full monetization features on TikTok following Meta's previous contributions via Facebook; and fostering genuine political dialogue through new products designed to facilitate constructive conversations across the nation. Itumbi emphasizes that these efforts are crucial not only for ensuring creatives earn fair revenue but also for moving beyond mere democratic celebrations toward tangible national development, such as building infrastructure like roads in counties. The conversation naturally shifts to Njugush's impressive journey from their shared days at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication drama club to becoming a prominent media figure. Itumbi attributes Njugush's success and his own leadership style to unwavering focus, discipline, and conviction, noting that true strength lies in standing by one's beliefs even when others disagree. He uses this philosophy to address potential divisions between supporters of different political factions, arguing that differing views should not make citizens enemies but rather opportunities for dialogue. Itumbi asserts that a healthy country is defined by its ability to engage in meaningful conversations where ideas are exchanged and listened to, allowing people from opposing sides to coexist peacefully while focusing on shared developmental goals. When asked about the essence of a good life, Dennis shares an anecdote involving former President Uhuru Kenyatta regarding how much money it takes to change one person's life, revealing that he realized too late that true impact comes simply by entering someone's world, listening intently, and reacting empathetically to their stories. This sentiment underscores his belief that joy is found in sharing both the joys and sorrows of others while actively working to improve individual lives. As the interview concludes, Itumbi offers strong encouragement for Njugush's brand, suggesting it has reached a level where it should be exported across East Africa with full institutional support from the Creative Economy Coordination Office, celebrating their shared history as friends who won trophies together in university drama productions before achieving significant professional milestones.

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All right, all right, all right. TTNT 6 by Blessed Njugush and right here with me. And now and I had the creative economy Hi, Dennis. >> Hello, how are you doing? Long time. >> Long time. I'm doing well. How are you feeling today? >> Absolutely good. It's always good to laugh at yourself. >> Yes. >> The biggest thing that Shakespeare taught us >> Uh-huh. >> is that you must make moments to laugh at yourself. >> That's true. >> That's what I came to do today. >> All right, Dennis. >> Okay. >> I'm still the head of our presidential special projects and creative economy coordination. >> Yes. >> That's what I do in cabinet. >> So, what is one of those special projects that you're doing like right now? >> So, there's several special projects. One of them is on the copyright issue. >> Uh-huh. >> So, there's a special focus on ensuring that we secure copyright for our artists. So, there's a special team focused on it. It's a based at the Ministry of ICT, but a branch of it is in my office. We have a few illegal streaming sites so far. >> Yeah. >> They're about 84 that we are close to. We are coming. We are coming for the rest because we must ensure that our creatives earn the money. That's number one. Number two is monetization. Um Facebook, basically Meta, has done their bit. >> Yeah. >> Um so, now what we are looking at is at TikTok >> Uh-huh. >> for us to get full monetization on TikTok. That's special projects number two. Special projects number three is around the whole the whole issue about politics and having conversations. So, we're going to be unveiling a few products for us to have genuine conversations around them. >> Uh-huh. Okay. Now, we are here because of Njugush. TTNT 6 six editions. Quite a journey for him. When you look at his journey, what do you have to say as someone who went to the same school as him, what do you have to say? >> It's good to say that we went to the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication with him. We were in something called the powerhouse. That's a drama club at the university. >> me too. I went to the same school. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, he, Mabel, Philip, the whole group there, we were in the same school, we were in the same drama club. They got into school when I was I was a head of the drama club, so they joined me and we did what we did. We won several trophies. >> Yeah. >> I've looked at his journey. >> Mhm. >> He's come this far because of something that I always say is what brings you to the top. Focus and discipline. It doesn't really matter what people say about your focus. Take your focus, stick by it. >> Yeah. >> Which is the same conversation around you had a lot of the reaction every time a photo was shown on One Mic and Two Mic. But it's a conviction. Once you take a conviction, stand by it. Even the people who don't believe in your conviction will flow with you. >> Yeah. >> My question to those guys who are there for One Mic, can they come to a Two Mic event? I came to a One Mic. What was basically most of the audience was One Mic, but can they make it to a Two Mic event? >> Mhm. >> It is that conversation that is important in terms of interaction. >> What pushed you to attend you know, that in the people who are there are more like Is it Two Two One Mic, yeah? What pushed you to attend such an event? >> This country must have a conversation. The fact that people are One Mic does not make us enemies. It means we have a conversation. There's something that makes them One Mic, there's something that makes me Two Mic. It's for me to bring on my ideas and convince them. And for them to bring up what why they believe on One Mic for me to listen and they are to them to convince me. That conversation is what makes a country. We've done Like the president said the other day, we have done too much on democracy. We have good elections, people can differ and still attend the same events, go to the same supermarkets. Now it's time to focus on how do we build the county? What roads need to be built? What do we need to put as infrastructure? Because the same effort we have put on democracy needs to be put on development of our county. >> Yeah. We are going to get political some other time. I'll call you to Like because of because we are here to for Njoguish, let me ask you. We are here to have a good time. What is a good life to you right now? >> A good life is where you interact with people. Uh sharing their joys and sharing their sadness. But most importantly, what makes me joyful is just to change the life of someone. One time President Uhuru Kenyatta asked me, "What does it take to change the life of one person? Is it 50,000? Is it 20,000? Is it 10,000? Is it >> 100,000? >> Once you answer that question to yourself, then you realize a joy. What I have realized over time to I didn't answer President Uhuru Kenyatta that time. But because I know you'll be watching SPM Buzz, maybe it's time to answer him out of the experience that I've gotten over time. What does it take to change the life of one Kenyan? It is just to sit in their environment, to listen to them, and to react to what they say. And I think that's the answer. That to change the life of a person is just to get into their world. >> Yeah. All right. So, we are looking forward to you guys looking at what we are saying. And you know, the that execution being done as a because that's the change. All right, Dennis. As I let you go, please say something to Njugush. >> Uh Njugush, well done, my friend. I think this is a brand that now built. And I think it's time to export it to the rest of East Africa. You have our entire support as a creative economy coordination office, and we will support you as we have always done. >> SPM Buzz. >> [bell]