This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
Kenya's music industry has witnessed significant growth in recent years, with artistes like Sauti Sol, Nyashinski, and Khaligraph gaining international recognition.
However, this growth has not been matched by the payment of royalties to artistes by local media houses.
According to the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), many media houses are failing to pay royalties to artistes, despite the country's steady growth in royalty collection.
At the funeral of musician John DeMathew, President Uhuru Kenyatta made a gesture of goodwill by paying the royalties of the deceased artiste.
As Kenya joins the rest of the continent in marking Africa Copyright and Management Day, MCSK is planning to visit various media houses to engage them on the status of royalty collection and the importance of paying royalties.
"This is the second edition of Africa Copyright and Collective Management Day. This day is celebrated to draw attention to the vibrant contributions of creators and copyright to the lives of millions throughout Africa and beyond," said MCSK CEO Micah Kulati.
On Saturday, MCSK officials, accompanied by at least 20 artistes, including MCSK Ambassador Julius Owino (Majimaji), will visit media houses such as Radio Africa Limited, Royal Media services, Nation Media Group, Media Max, and the Standard media Group.
"There's a need to get copyright laws and gains to improve the lives of musicians across Africa, and we can only do this by creating awareness tomorrow on the need to pay royalties," said Majimaji.
Under the hashtag #TheMusicBusKE, the team will engage media managers in a round table talk to raise awareness about the importance of paying royalties.
