Kenyan artists are set to benefit from a new digital royalty collection system after the government signed agreements to integrate royalty payments and collections into the eCitizen platform, a key initiative championed by President William Ruto’s administration.
The signing of the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) marks the implementation of a presidential directive aimed at creating a transparent, accountable and technology-driven framework for royalty collection.
The project was coordinated through the Office of the Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Coordination, led by Dennis Itumbi, working alongside eCitizen and stakeholders in the creative sector.
The agreements were signed on Tuesday, June 23, in the presence of Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs Kahindi and eCitizen Director General Isaac Ochieng.
Officials from the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), and the Performing and Audio Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) also attended the event.
The new system is expected to improve transparency and efficiency in royalty collection and distribution, helping ensure that musicians, producers, composers and other creatives receive a larger share of the money generated from their work.
With the agreements now signed, preparations are underway for the official rollout of the digital service, which the government says will strengthen Kenya’s creative economy and deliver on President Ruto’s promise to protect artists’ earnings through technology.