Kenyan musicians could be headed for another difficult period after the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) suspended the operating licence of the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), throwing the future of royalty payments into fresh uncertainty.
The move comes at a time when many artists have already been complaining about delayed payments, poor returns from their music and a lack of transparency in the way royalties are collected and shared.
In a statement, KECOBO said it had suspended KAMP’s licence after establishing what it described as serious governance and compliance failures.
The regulator also raised concerns over the manner in which royalties were being distributed, saying some payments could not be backed by verifiable data.
While the suspension targets KAMP, it is musicians who are now left wondering what happens to the money collected from their music as the dispute unfolds.
For years, Kenyan artists have accused royalty collection bodies of failing to account for millions of shillings generated through radio airplay, television broadcasts, public performances and digital streaming platforms.
Some have even questioned why they continue earning so little despite their songs attracting millions of listeners.
KECOBO maintains that the latest action is meant to protect artists by ensuring only organisations that meet legal and governance standards are allowed to collect and distribute royalties on their behalf.
The suspension is the latest twist in Kenya’s long-running battle to clean up the royalty collection system, a sector that has been rocked by endless disputes, court cases and complaints from musicians who believe they have not been getting a fair share of the money generated from their work.
For many artists, the latest development is yet another reminder that the fight for fair royalties is far from over.
As KECOBO moves to enforce stricter accountability, all eyes will now be on how the regulator safeguards artists’ earnings during the suspension and whether the latest intervention will finally restore confidence in a system that has for years been dogged by controversy.
Until then, thousands of musicians can only hope that the latest shake-up brings solutions rather than another chapter in the country’s long-running royalty disputes.