The day 20th Century Fox closed its 3 Nairobi cinemas in protest against the Kenya government's policies of (1) Africanization and (2) economic boycott of (apartheid) South Africa!!
In 1967 the state-owned Kenya Film Corporation was given sole rights to distribute all movies in Kenya.
However Anglo-American Film Distributors that was owned by 20th Century Fox and some South African shareholders, refused to give up distribution rights to movies produced by United Artists, and 20th Century Fox amongst other Hollywood studios. The Kenya government in response stopped them from importing these movies. In protest 20th Century Fox closed the Kenya, 20th Century and Fox Drive In cinemas for months!! These cinemas also refused to screen movies distributed by KFC!!
Additionally, the Motion Picture Exporting Association of America (MPEAA) which controlled over 80% of the global cinema business, would hear none of giving up control to KFC. In a Feb 1968 meeting in Nairobi a vice president of MPEAA said American film companies could not accept to deal with “citizen only companies"!!
The Kenya government considered making all the 20th Century Fox expatriate staff persona non grata. Additionally, they considered directing the Commissioner of Lands to withdraw the rights to the use of the cinema premises. Nationalization was also considered. However, open nationalization would create negative publicity and would not attract foreign investment.
The Kenya government relented!! The cinemas were allowed to open after 9 months and AAFD continued distributing movies in Kenya!! However, there are indications AAFD then became solely owned by the US company and all local staff were mainly Africans!!
(ref: EVALUATION OF KENYAN FILM INDUSTRY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Edwin Ngure Nyutho)
