Kenyan Artistes suffer more disappointments as the music producers association announces a reduction in royalties.

The Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) which represents the interests and rights of Kenyan producers and artistes announces that it will disburse fewer royalties to Kenyan artistes. This announcement adds to the woes of Kenyan artistes, who have been on record criticizing the three Collective Management Authorities (CMOs) for offering them peanuts in royalties.

Sep 2, 2021 - 10:57 Updated: Sep 2, 2021 - 11:14

Kenyan Artistes suffer more disappointments as the music producers association announces a reduction in royalties.

Kaligraph Jones, a Kenyan musical artiste who has been vocal about the state of royalty remitance by Kenyan Collective Management Authorities (CMO)

The Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) which, represents the interests and rights of Kenyan producers and artistes announces that it will disburse fewer royalties to Kenyan artistes. This announcement adds to the woes of Kenyan artistes, who have been on record criticizing the three Collective Management Authorities (CMOs) for offering them peanuts in royalties.

Source: Livenow.co.ke

Njoroge Mbugua the CEO of KAMP argues that the COVD-19 pandemic adversely affected collections. He also states that increased operational costs due to the virus is the considerable factor reducing the money meant for their members and artistes. Prior operations saw the CMO amassing collections as high as half a billion before the collection curve goes down. At present, the organization states that it only collected a few more than a hundred million of which less than half, 41 million, has been distributed.

Source: Mediacouncil.or.ke

The CMO also argues that the lack of sufficient enforcement from the government aiding in the collection is also to account for the decline in revenue. Recently, KAMP's security agents were withdrawn following its deregistration. The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) deregistered KAMP and two other bodies, MCSK and PRISK. KECOBO claims that the CMO's failure to account for royalties obligated to artistes and mismanagement of funds collected as the main reason for the CMO's to be deregistered.