This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On November 19, 2019, Erick Nyadida, a 22-year-old man, took Equity Bank to court over the use of his song in the 'Wings to Fly' advertisement since 2013 without payment.
Nyadida claimed that he had not received a single cent from the bank for six years, despite his repeated requests for payment.
He alleged that the bank had charged him with attempting to defraud them of Sh 10 million, which he denied.
According to Nyadida, the bank had initially told him and his brother through a letter that they had committed a criminal offence and were to take statements the next day at Equity Centre.
However, when they went to write statements, a security guard, Joachim Ithumbi, refused to take Nyadida's statement, saying 'the bank does not want anything to do with that matter and we are ready to do anything to defend ourselves.'
Nyadida and his brother were later taken to the Banking Fraud Unit at the Central Bank and detained at the Kileleshwa police station.
They were charged with fraud at a Milimani court, where they pleaded not guilty.
Nyadida claimed that he was not afforded the right to legal representation at the time, which he said was a breach of his constitutional rights.
He had to change schools and repeat an exam due to the time he spent in court for an offence he did not commit.
Nyadida was eventually acquitted on October 3, 2017, after the prosecution failed to provide enough evidence.
He composed the song 'Wings to Fly' while still a minor and studying at Maranda High School, and later recorded it at Homeboyz studios.
The song was created after Nyadida and his manager, John Kennedy, were given an opportunity to create an original piece of music for the Equity Bank's Wings to Fly project.
Nyadida had repeatedly written letters to Dr James Mwangi and other bank officials, but they asked him to reduce the payment from Sh10 million to Sh 2.5 million, which he refused.
The bank also offered to replace the pending arrears with a scholarship, but Nyadida turned it down.
Nyadida appeared before Justice Wilfrida Okwani, seeking justice for a song that has been used since 2013.
