Joshua Kutuny, the chairperson of the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), believes that only hardworking artists should be entitled to receive their royalties from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).
Kutuny expressed his opinion on Hot 96 radio on Wednesday, saying that musicians whose songs are subpar and haven't been played on the radio should not get paid and should instead work hard to produce more music.
"Why are you giving everybody Ksh.1,200? Why don't you tell me because my music did not play I'm not giving you anything so that I go back to the studio and work hard," he said.
He went on to imply that the selection process used to distribute the funds is biased, claiming that some artists are given preference over others because of their affiliations with the board members or their tribe.
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"It tells us that people decide in a boardroom who to give money to. There is tribalism, and nepotism in distribution of the money. There is no scientific way where you arrive and say this music deserves this," he said.
"If there was a proper formula and this is a discussion that has been there for the last 20 years to develop a scientific way so that I know why my music is or not playing well."
On January 14, 2024, MCSK CEO Ezekiel Mutua disclosed that Kenyan musicians would receive 2023 royalties of at least Ksh. 1,250 apiece.
Dr. Mutua announced that the 16,000 members of the music body would each receive a share of Ksh.20 million.
He stated that the funds will be allocated in two ways: generally and scientifically.
To ensure that every musician receives something, we offer general rates as long as you are a member. Then, using software, we can determine where your music was played in a scientific manner."
