This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 16, 2019, the Kenya Copyright Board revealed that the three Collective Management Organizations in Kenya had distributed a total of Ksh 80M out of Ksh 118M collected in the second quarter of the year.
However, this news was met with criticism from Kenyan artists and their fans, who felt that the organization's decision to offer Sh2,500 each to its about 14,000 musicians as royalties was inadequate.
Artists allied to the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) have called for a review of the royalty payment structure, citing the need for a more equitable distribution of royalties.
PRISK has also emphasized the need for the industry to develop appropriate tools to monitor music airplay to back logs, which are used in paying royalties, as well as reviewing the current tariff structure to benefit members.
The Kenya Copyright Board has defended the organization's decision, stating that the latest payment represents 68% of royalties collected, which is 2 percent lower than the 70% threshold required before renewal of Collective Management License.
