On September 28, 2023, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki discussed the removal of police escort for Collective Management Organisations (CMOs). These CMOs are privately-run, non-profit organizations authorized to gather and distribute royalties on behalf of their members.
In Kenya, there are presently five main CMOs licensed by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), as mandated by the Copyright Act of Kenya.
The CMOs that have operated in Kenya include; Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Music Publishers Association of Kenya (MPAKE), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), The Reproduction Rights Society of Kenya (KOPIKEN) and Performance Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
On Thursday, September 28, 2023, following a meeting with the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture, Kindiki stated that he had received a request from KECOBO to reinstate police escorts for Collective Management Organisations (CMOs).
"The request by Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) on reinstatement of Police escort to Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) during their licensing enforcement operations is legitimate but must be implemented subject to a clear agreement on enforcement and operational protocol between the CMOs and the National Police Service," Kindiki said.
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The Interior CS further disclosed that police withdrew escort for CMOs in 2020 to protect the image of authorities following a plethora of public complaints.
"The withdrawal of Police escort from the CMOs in 2020 was a decision made by the National Police Service to protect its image and informed by several complaints from members of the public among them, extortion by CMOs after making arrests, failure by the organisations to present arrested persons before courts and failure to present themselves as witnesses following arrests," Kindiki noted.
He went on to emphasize that prior to reinstating police escorts for CMOs, there should be a well-defined operational directive, ensuring that the officers in charge are fully aware of their precise responsibilities.
"A Multi-agency operation should be preceded by a clear operational order that includes assigning responsibility to an officer in charge to enhance accountability. The National Police Service will enforce law and order, protect citizens' right to own tangible and intangible property, and apprehend criminals who violate these rights," Kindiki explained.
In the recent past, there have been conflicts between some Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) and musicians over what the artists perceive as inadequate compensation.
In April 2023, numerous musicians turned to social media to humorously express their dissatisfaction with the royalties disbursed by the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).
Leading the charge was Bien, the lead singer of Sauti Sol, who shared his M-Pesa statement indicating that he had received Ksh14,634 from MCSK.
Bien expressed his astonishment, pondering what compensation "upcoming" musicians like Khaligraph Jones might receive, considering he himself had received a meager sum of Ksh14,634.
In response to Bien's post, Stivo Simple Boy disclosed that he had been paid a mere Ksh3,000.
