MCSK Speaks Out Over Meagre Payments to Musicians

The Music Copyright Society of Kenya, on Wednesday, came out to defend the payments made to musicians as royalties for their music.

Through the society's CEO Milka Kulati, MCSK revealed that the payments were the best they have ever offered in their history.

Speaking to NTV, Kulati defended her organisation from the onslaught that was directed to it by musicians and netizens at large.

She further stated that the MCSK board was focused to see that Kenyan artists earn what they were supposed to earn from their creativity and talent.

In the presser, Kulati was not shy to commend their the other copyright bodies, PRISK and KAMP in what she termed to be promoting local talent.

The society also took to social media trying to explain the distribution of the funds.

"Please note that this was the collection for two months only. Performance in Public Places (PPP)royalties were distributed equally to all our members," MCSK Tweeted.

Through most of the week, musicians took to social media to protest what most of them termed as peanut payment for their hard work.

A screenshot of a message shared by Kenyan rapper, Khaligraph Jones, on Wednesday morning, sparked a national conversation.

The M-Pesa message shows an amount sent to the award-winning hip hop artist, from the Music Copyright  Society of Kenya (MCSK).

"You have received Ksh 2,530 plus the withdrawal fee from MCSK on 13/8/19 at 7:32 pm," read an excerpt of the message.

An irate Khaligraph blasted the authority mandated to ensure that artists got their royalty fees, citing the meagre amount as an insult. 

"Msijaribu kunitumia izi peanuts tena. In fact, I have given authorization for my music to be pirated, don't collect money on my behalf anymore," he reiterated via his Instagram page.

MCSK is tasked with collecting a royalty on behalf of authors, composers, arrangers and publishers of musical works.