This archive report was first published on 28 September 2019.
Kenyan Artists to Benefit from Resale Royalties ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed a bill into law that empowers Kenyan visual artists to earn royalties following the resale of their works, both locally and abroad.
The new law, which is in line with international trends, aims to address the long-standing issue of Kenyan artists being shortchanged in the art market.
According to the Kenya Copyright Board (Kecobo), Kenyan artists will now be able to benefit from their creations for as long as their pieces keep getting sold. The copyright for artwork remains with artists or their estates for the remainder of their lives and 50 years after their deaths.
Brush Wanyu, a 72-year-old visual artist, is one of the pioneers who will benefit from the new law. He has been struggling to get his art pieces back from an American art collector who promised to market them in the US in 2001.
Wanyu's art pieces are now fetching millions of shillings on the overseas market, but he has barely enough to get by due to his arthritis. He is currently being hosted by his friend Wakanyote Njuguna in Banana Hill.
Michael Soi, a visual artist based at the Kuona Art Centre, welcomes the new development, saying it will change the way local artists benefit from their creations.
However, not many in the local art community are aware of the new law, and artists like Wanyu do not know how to make the necessary follow-ups to claim their royalties.
Edward Sigei, the executive director of Kecobo, says that for Kenyan visual artists to enjoy the fruits of their labour, they will first have to form a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) that will manage the collection and distribution of their resale royalty rights.
Lydia Galavu, the curator of the Creativity Art Gallery at the National Museums of Kenya, is glad that the President has signed the bill, saying it is a conversation that has been ongoing with stakeholders for a long time.
