The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has reported a significant increase in royalty collections for Kenyan musicians, rising from a reported Ksh.600,000 to a new high of Ksh.2.2 million.
According to a statement released on Thursday, KECOBO indicated that total collections as of June 18, 2024, reached Ksh.22 million. This surge occurred just 10 days after the exclusive license to collect royalties was granted to the Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK).
This decision effectively transferred the responsibility from the two previously existing Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), and the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP).
“The Board notes that following the issuance of a Collective Management Organization license to Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK), collection of royalties from music users has increased from a daily collection of Ksh.600,000 to Ksh.2.2 million daily,” stated KECOBO.
“As at June 18, Ksh.22 million had been collected. This was 10 days after the issuance of the licence. This was an improvement from the collections that was being done previously by the three CMOs jointly.”
The Joshua Kutuny-led board went ahead to project the daily royalty collection to grow to Ksh.3 million, further noting that it is in the process to establish recording studios in all 47 counties.
It also stated that it is in talks with relevant government ministries to come up with a programme that will enable Kenyan artists to obtain loans at relatively lower rates.
“The daily collection is expected to rise to Ksh.3million daily with introduction of an enhanced system and support from music users. The Board encourages transparency in the collection and distribution of royalties by the CMO to help cut on costs and increase royalty distribution to artists to at least 70 percent of the collection,” noted KECOBO.
“The Board is in the process of engaging the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro/ Small and Medium Enterprises Development to establish artists and creatives’ savings cooperative society (SACCO) that will give artists an opportunity to borrow at a lower rate.”
MCSK CEO Ezekiel Mutua has challenged KECOBO’s reported daily collection figures, alleging that the board ignored court orders related to a case filed after PAVRISK was granted the exclusive collection license. Mutua asserted that it is highly inaccurate to suggest that PAVRISK could have collected more than Ksh.5,000 within three weeks.
“When the country is burning because of the arrogance and incompetence of public officials, you are here disobeying court orders and lying to the public to please your corrupt paymasters. Shame on you,” he wrote on X.
“PAVRISK has collected less than 5k in three weeks. You claiming it’s over 20M. What does it take for your useless state corporations to know that it’s not business as usual in Kenya?”
