MUSICIANS GET 70 PERCENT AS GOVERNMENT MOVES ALL ROYALTY COLLECTIONS TO ECITIZEN

A big win for musicians as the Kenyan government has changed how music royalties are handled. It has done away with old, hidden systems and replaced them with a clear and fair plan that puts artists first.

Announced by Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi, this new change means all music royalty money will now be collected through the national eCitizen platform. Artists will get 70% of all royalties, while 30% will cover management costs.

Itumbi gave an example of where MCSK collected over Sh100 million but gave artists only Sh11 million. “Today, we dismantled the music cartels that for years have exploited and broken our musicians,” said Itumbi. “Their opaque systems, designed to steal, are gone. They did not bother to forward collections or audits, they have been asking “mtado?”

All royalty money will be paid through eCitizen. This creates a clear, official record that can be checked. For the first time, musicians will be able to see who is paying, how much money comes in, and where every shilling goes. “This is a breakthrough. It puts the music industry on the firm path to the first world,” Itumbi added. 

The new plan solves ongoing problems like missing payments, poor record-keeping, and groups using courts to avoid sharing money fairly. It aims to bring back trust and respect to the music business.

“We are grateful to President William Samoei Ruto for the leadership, the opportunity, and the clear directives that allowed us to correct a long standing systemic failure,” Itumbi said. “To every musician: your time has come. The artists have won.”