This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
January 5, 2022, marked a significant day in the fight for fair pay for Kenyan musicians. Comedian Eric Omondi released a set of conditions for promoters and event organizers to ensure local acts are treated with the respect they deserve.
At the heart of Omondi's conditions is a rate card for A-list and B-list musicians. According to him, A-list stars should be paid a minimum of Sh600,000, while B-list acts should receive nothing less than Sh450,000.
Notably, Omondi has identified Sauti Sol as the highest-paid A-list artist, with a fee of Sh2.8 million per show. Other notable A-list artists include Khaligraph Jones, Nyashinski, Otile Brown, and Nadia Mukami.
Furthermore, Omondi has emphasized the importance of paying artists 75% of the agreed amount in advance and the remaining 25% on the day of the event. He has also stressed the need for security to be provided for all artists and for a world-class backstage area to be made available.
Eric Omondi's statement reads: 'Please be NOTIFIED that this YEAR I will PERSONALLY SCRUTINISE every detail of Every EVENT!!! I want to know how much ARTISTS are paid. I want to ensure that Every ARTIST is paid 70 PERCENT of their money PRIOR and 30 PERCENT on the day of the Event before the EVENT.'
He has also specified the fees for each artist, including Nadia Mukami (Sh600,000), Khaligraph Jones (Sh1.5 million), Otile Brown (Sh1.5 million), Nyashinski (Sh1.5 million), and Sauti Sol (Sh2.8 million).
Additionally, Omondi has stated that all events must be headlined by a Kenyan artist, regardless of whether international artists are performing or not.
It remains to be seen how these conditions will be implemented and whether they will have a positive impact on the lives of Kenyan musicians.
