“Proud to be a member…”
This slogan best describes the strides made at the Kenya Actors Guild (KAG) Special General Meeting held on Tuesday 17 September, at the Kenya Cultural Centre, Ukumbi Mdogo. Actors came with different expectations but one goal, #kwamuaKAG
…clarity from the guild, especially as a body that can bring actors together for a common goal,” according to veteran thespian Muthoni Gathecha, which perhaps best captured the mood of the day.
With the failure to file returns by the Guild from 2019 to 2023, the association was on the brink of deregistration. Three signatures from the Chairperson (who resigned last year in October), Secretary and Treasurer were needed in the return documents to prevent this alongside a list of all members to be presented to the Registrar of Societies at Sheria House. 
Two of those signatures were acquired at the meeting, except for the Treasurer’s, with no apparent reason for not doing so. This intensified the members’ resolve for him to leave the guild, and with testimonials of gross misconduct, two motions were passed. First, his expulsion as an official of the Guild, second, his expulsion as a Guild member.
Subscriptions are essential in the running of any union, a reality that also applies to the K.A.G to capitalize on resources and programs such as holding workshops and masterclasses, payment for meeting venues, monthly office dues and many more essentials.
However, in light of the inactivity of the Guild since 2019, the annual subscription of Sh3,000 wasn’t paid due to a trust deficit from the members. This driven by the question, ‘What is the guild doing for me as a member for me to pay a subscription fee?’
The undeterred servitude to the constitution by the officials blurred the road to a solution for 5 years, deeming the subscription a pass to make a case about the problem at hand, flipping the narrative of the constitution serving the members to the members serving the constitution.
A resolution was proposed and passed by settling that the subscription be suspended until the house is put in order.
Since the outgoing officials’ 3-year tenure elapsed in November 2023, and have been operating on borrowed time, the need for an elected office is apparent and, consequently, the dire need for an Annual General Meeting to elect new officials; this was approved and a date was set for Saturday, October 19, 2024.
With over one-third of the members present, the meeting adjourned with high spirits as the journey to make the Guild work for its members continues.
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