Hubert Nakitare, better known as Nonini, a vengeful rapper from Kenya, challenged Ezekiel Mutua, the chairman of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya, regarding paying royalties to Kenyan musicians. 

Speaking on Citizen TV, Nonini charged that the MCSK and all other Kenyan Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) failed to pay out 70% of the money they receive in royalties as required by law. 

He made fun of MCSK for operating a corrupt system that deprives artists of their due compensation.

"Artists know the amount of money they should earn. A majority of those I represent have not been paid and their songs are always played," said Nonini.


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"Why is money being collected and distributed in bits? Royalties are distributed once...There is no day these people have distributed 70%."

Nonini also compared the royalties paid to artists in Kenya and the United States, where he currently resides. 

 According to him, one of the largest CMOs in America, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), will get $1.7 billion in revenue in 2023 and give Ksh. 1.5 billion to artists.

"There is zero human interaction because everything has been digitised, we upload our songs on their system and I can log into my account and see my statement," he said.

"They are mandated to send an annual report to look into detail on how they have spent the money. It is illegal if they are found to have spent only 70%."


The artist then gave Dr. Mutua the finger, accusing him of arrogantly leading from the front and requesting that he stop firing artists who express concerns about their royalties. 

"What are you doing if you cannot comply with the government's directive? Since he works for artists, he owes them respect. "When was the last time you witnessed a worker fighting with their superiors?" asked Nonini. 

Nonini has previously questioned MCSK about its unfair revenue collection and distribution practices within the Kenyan music industry. 

When Dr. Mutua announced in January that Ksh. 20 million would be distributed equally among the 16,000 members of the music body, many conjectured that the artists would receive a pitiful Ksh. 1,250.

Many in Kenya took offense at this, including Nonini, who posted on his X account, "Sad sana... Poleni wasanii wenzangu."