Milcah Kulati, the new chief executive of Music Copyright Society of Kenya, has her work cut out for her.
Her first priority will be restoring the tainted image of the organisation. The country's music regulator, the Kenya Copyright Board, recalled MCSK's licence to collect royalties for artists over claims of misappropriation of funds. The organisation was also ordered to hold fresh elections to elect a new team.
Ms Kulati becomes the second woman at the helm of the organisation after Ms Jenipher Shamalla, who once served as general manager before joining politics. Ms Shamalla is currently a nominated MP of the Jubilee Party.
The new chief executive replaces Mr Simiyu Miriti, who served at the helm of the former office that ran into problems with Kecobo, then led chairman Albert Gacheru.
Following the elections, Kecobo has issued MCSK with a joint licence to collect royalties with two other organisations — Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
Music Publisher Association of Kenya (MPAKE), which had replaced MCSK in the joint license, has now been left out of the current arrangement.
During the recent MCSK elections, gospel singer and producer Japheth Kasanga was elected chairman while veteran Mombasa-born singer and composer John Katana was elected deputy chairman.
Both Kasanga and Katana have once served and completed their terms at the Kecobo’s board, and their experience will be invaluable in negotiating the Kecobo requirements placed on MCSK besides collecting and distributing royalties to musicians.
Other new officials include Joseph Shisia of the Luhyia song Omundu Omulosi fame, who is the Western region representative, Paul Maina (Rift Valley region), former acting chairman Mr Lazarus Muli (Eastern region) while Simeon Nderitu and Mwangi Murimi are representatives of Central and Nairobi regions respectively. Mr Likembe James is the Nyanza region representative.
For two years, local artistes have not received royalties owing to differences that ended up in court before the recent elections were held. But according to the new chief executive, the move by Kecobo to issue a joint licence will help the content management organisations (CMOs) collect more money.
“Though it’s a new concept that MCSK has never been subjected to, it, however, presents the best opportunity for the three to collect more money than before. More royalties will be distributed to local artistes, who have been in the cold for two years now,” says Ms Kulati.
Separately, Mr Japheth Kasanga, who rode on accountability and efficiency during his campaign, wants music users to honour their obligations by paying money meant for musicians instead of evading.
“We are appealing to music users to respect artistes’ work and pay what belongs to them through us. As a society, we are determined to ensure that artistes' interests are catered for as envisaged in our governing regulations which are guided by Kecobo,” said Kasanga.
Ms Kulati says even though artistes have been patient for two years without royalties, they would have to be a little more patient.
“With new leadership, I believe there is goodwill from a majority of our members,” she said.
When Saturday Nation asked her about the issue of the misappropriation funds by the former leadership and what the current office was doing about it, Ms Kulati said an auditor had been sent in by the ministry of Sports and Gender to work with a financial expert from Kecobo during the one-year transition period.
