State-owned media house Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is once again facing growing criticism following reports that several artists contracted by the organization have gone unpaid for over two months.
The individuals affected include performers, content creators and technical crew members who have been delivering work under KBC-linked productions but have not received any payment during this period.
For many the KBC assignments are their sole source of income and the prolonged delay in payments has caused significant financial strain, with some struggling to meet basic needs such as rent, school fees and daily expenses.
Despite the broadcaster continuing to air shows produced with the support of this workforce, there has been no official communication from KBC management acknowledging the delays or offering any timeline for resolution.
This situation has triggered frustration among the affected parties, who are now calling for public accountability, particularly from the corporation’s top leadership.
They have reached out to digital activists and whistleblowers, urging them to raise the matter publicly and question the role of the Managing Director and senior executives in allowing the payment backlog to persist.
“Dear Cyprian Nyakundi. We are reaching out to you with deep frustration and disappointment over the ongoing payment delays affecting artists contracted by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). For over two months now, several artists who have diligently delivered their creative work ranging from performance to production have not received their rightful compensation. These delays are not only unfair, but they also reflect a deeper disregard for the role of artists in shaping national content and culture. Most of these individuals depend solely on such gigs to earn a living, and going unpaid for months has left many struggling with rent, school fees, and basic necessities. This is not the first time KBC has been flagged for failing to honour payment obligations. The trend must stop. We humbly request that you, Mr. Nyakundi, use your powerful platform to amplify this concern. KBC’s Managing Director must be tagged, questioned, and held accountable. The silence is becoming louder than the promises made. These artists are not asking for favors only what they have earned.”
KBC has a documented history of recurrent delays in paying artists and contractors, a pattern that points to systemic issues rather than isolated lapses.
In early 2024, comedian Chipukeezy revealed that the corporation had delayed payments for his show since November 2023, forcing him to halt production and affecting multiple contributors tied to the project.
Reports from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya in February 2024 indicated that KBC owed artists over Ksh 300 million, with concerns that such delays had become normalized within the broadcaster.
These delays have also impacted royalty payments with KBC being among the major defaulters, even as it continues to utilize creative content for programming and commercial broadcasts.
The issue extends beyond artists to KBC staff and suppliers, many of whom have faced delayed salaries, irregular payments and even unremitted statutory deductions over the years.
In 2019, the broadcaster was reported to owe more than Sh982 million in unpaid pension contributions, prompting outrage from retired employees.
As recently as 2023, contract staff and freelance journalists complained of going unpaid for several months with no formal response from the organization.
These patterns suggest a deeper financial and administrative challenge within KBC that continues to hurt its credibility as a public institution tasked with supporting national content and culture.
The latest wave of complaints has reignited calls for urgent intervention by oversight agencies, cultural institutions and the Ministry of Information to ensure that artists are compensated fairly and without delay.
There is growing concern that unless firm action is taken, KBC will continue operating at the expense of the very creatives who bring its programming to life.
