This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
August 14, 2019, marked a day of outrage for Kenyan musicians as Suzanna Owiyo took to social media to express her disappointment with the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) over the low royalties paid to artists.
According to Suzanna, MCSK has been paying artists what she terms as 'peanut royalties', leaving many artists struggling to make ends meet.
'We have grown as men and women who sit at the MCSK office denying the artists their rightful pay,' Suzanna tweeted, expressing her frustration with the situation.
She further stated that MCSK are 'jokers who are slowly killing the industry' and have 'zero interest in supporting the artists.'
Her comments sparked a heated debate on social media, with many Kenyans expressing their outrage at the situation.
One fan pointed out that businesses such as matatus, hotels, and music stores pay a yearly fee of at least 5,000 shillings, which could bring in close to a billion shillings annually.
Another Kenyan expressed her shock at Suzanna's suggestion that prostitution would pay better than being a Kenyan artiste, stating that 'prostitution is not the only other option to art.'
The controversy surrounding MCSK's handling of royalties has sparked calls for the musicians to take over the management of the organization.
