Music Copyright Society of Kenya CEO, Ezekiel Mutua, has finally responded after Kenyan musicians, led by Bien of Sauti Sol, took over social media to expose the music body for sending them low payments as their music royalties.
Speaking to a section of bloggers during an event, Mutua acknowledged that some musicians would complain about the payments while others would appreciate whatever was transferred to their wallets.
He claimed that the highest-paid musician had received Sh330K while the lowest had received Sh600.
However, there are doubts about the accuracy of Mutua's claims since presenter Oga Obinna, who also doubles up as a musician, shared a screenshot revealing that he had received Sh258.
"They used to get Sh1K. I think the highest has received Sh330K while the lowest has received Sh637. We are trying and remember we are doing this without a license, we through a lot of challenges with a regulator.
"Our hope is now once we streamline things, musicians will make money. We had a choice to make when we got Sh15 million whether to distribute or not. We knew some would be happy while others would not because it depends on the airplay," Mr Mutua said.
According to Mr. Mutua, efforts are underway to address the issues surrounding the distribution of royalties, and he maintained that they had indeed distributed money to the musicians.
However, he revealed that the matatu industry had not paid any royalties to MCSK since 2019. In addition, he pointed out that other entities, such as marketplaces and hotels, were also delinquent in paying their licensing fees.
Mutua admitted that they are currently collaborating with the government to streamline the process and ensure that all necessary payments are made in a timely manner.
Ezekiel Mutua's message to Kenyan musicians
Mr Mutua is hopeful that the future of MCSK is bright, and he urged more Kenyan artists to register with the body to work together to achieve greater success.
He also emphasized that MCSK is not solely focused on distributing royalties, as the organization can also provide musicians with health cover and offer a platform for investment through the MCSK Sacco.
The CEO of MCSK revealed that he had recently visited South Africa with other Kenyan leaders to explore ways of monetizing content on digital platforms.
He noted that the remaining steps involved putting regulations in place and devising a strategy for implementing the plan.