President Ruto demands full payment of music royalties

Speaking during the 97th National Music Festival, President Ruto backed the court decision on payment of royalties and their inclusion on the eCitizen platform.

From the northern part of Kenya to the central region and taarab from the coast, this year’s National Music Festival was characterized by rhythms reflecting various communities that make up Kenya.

The melodies from the young and old at the Sagana State Lodge provided the tone for President William Ruto to weigh in on the music industry and the payment of royalties that have become a matter of court redress.

“From today we want the musicians to be paid what is due to them. We want to get rid of the middlemen,” said President Ruto.

The head of state backed a court decision made a fortnight ago that barred the MCSK from collecting royalties on behalf of artists.

“I fully welcome the court decision. We can now have the artists get their money from eCitizen,” said President Ruto.

The music festival also provided a platform for President William Ruto to revisit previous pledges he made on the Grammy Awards.

The president promised that just like the sports academy, the country will have a music and creatives academy to boost talent.