Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) CEO Ezekiel Mutua has refuted claims of his suspension, dismissing a public notice circulating on social media as fake.
In a statement on Monday, November 25, Mutua revealed he was actively performing his duties as CEO when he learned of the notice alleging his dismissal.
“I have received numerous calls and messages from people who believed the rumors to be true. After reviewing social media, I was shocked at how quickly the falsehoods had spread, despite the fact that the Board Chairman had already issued a statement addressing the matter,” Mutua said.
“Let me therefore set the record straight: I am in office and I have neither been sacked nor suspended. The bloggers who are spreading this would do better to come to the office and interview me from there,” he said.
Did you read this?
FAKE!
— Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) (@TheMCSK) November 25, 2024
TO ALL MCSK MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS
My attention has been brought to some insidious propaganda being peddled on social media concerning MCSK leadership & in particular our CEO Dr. @EzekielMutua...
Read more here https://t.co/iYVjO6Ujpw
Dr. Lazarus Muli
National Chairman pic.twitter.com/vLS2IeXtK5
Mutua admitted that while there are ongoing wrangles within MCSK, there are laid out procedures to be followed for disciplinary action.
“Granted there are leadership wrangles in MCSK but they only touch on the Directors who hold elected non-executive positions. The CEO and staff are not elected and there are clear procedures for disciplinary actions. When people recklessly breach these procedures, they end up occasioning huge losses on the company. There’s currently a former CEO we are paying Ksh 23M for wrongful dismissal, and he wasn’t even a substantive CEO. You can imagine how much I would demand from the company I was to sue these guys for making the wild sacking claims in a bar and on a weekend and spreading it all over social media,” he added.
The fake notice that surfaced over the weekend indicated that Mutua was no longer allowed to conduct any business on behalf of MCSK.
It further mentioned that the company would not be held liable for any contractual obligations that arise from engaging with Mutua.
Mutua was appointed as the CEO of MCSK on March 25, 2022.
He succeeded Milcah Kulati after emerging as the top candidate in a competitive recruitment process conducted by the MCSK Board of Directors.
“I have received with profound gratitude my appointment to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK). Happy to rejoin the creative industry, this time not as a regulator, but as a promoter and defender of the rights of musicians
“I look forward to working with the Board and relevant industry stakeholders to reinvigorate the music industry and make Kenyan music profitable through effective and efficient collection and distribution of royalties, by fighting piracy and promoting the rights of musicians,” he said at the time.
Mutua’s appointment came shortly after he left his previous role as CEO of the Kenya Film Classification Board.