Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has announced plans by the government to pay all artists’ royalties through the eCitizen platform
In a statement on Sunday night, Kuria said the government is spearheading amendments to the Copyright Act to create a government-run Collective Management Organization that will oversee payments through the eCitizen platform.
The CS said all artists will be individually registered on the platform to enable them to view online how much money is collected.
He said the move is in an effort to ensure transparency in the payment of royalties to ensure artists benefit from their talent.
“All music, copyrights, and royalties will be paid through eCitizen,” announced the CS.
However, Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage cabinet secretary Aisha Jumwa falls under her ministry and is already working on streamlining the industry.
“My ministry through the state department of Culture, Arts & Heritage is in charge and is working on streamlining the industry.”
Currently, copyright royalties are collected and paid through the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), and the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
