The Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) is facing yet another challenge in its long list of problems, with the High Court stopping the body from collecting any royalties from the many music users in the country.
This was revealed in a ruling that was read in court on Friday, where it was made clear that MCSK will not collect any more money from the many music users in the country.
This is due to the fact that the body did not obtain a license from the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) to operate as a Collective Management Organisation in the country for the 2025/2026 period.
This is at a time when the body is facing many challenges, with the main one being the failure of the body to file its certified annual returns over the last five years. The body is also accused of mismanaging KSh 56 million, which is supposed to be used in the payment of royalties for the many artists in the country.
The attention now shifts to the leadership of MCSK, which is headed by the CEO, Ezekiel Mutua.
High Court of Kenya had already ruled earlier in January that the decision of KECOBO not to renew the licence should be upheld. This was because, according to the judge, the decision should be subject to the Copyright Tribunal and not the High Court.
It appears, however, that the case has been a frustrating affair for the musicians. This is because the musicians claim that they have not been paid for months, yet their music continues to be played in various clubs, matatus, and media stations.
KECOBO had earlier warned Kenyans not to pay the musicians any royalties since MCSK had no authority to collect the same.
It is the hope of the musicians that a clean and transparent system would be put in place so that they would be able to be paid adequately for their work.
