Kenyan artists can now breathe a sigh of relief after President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday signed the copyright amendment bill 2019.

The Copyright (Amendment) Act 2019 is aimed at addressing growing concerns about royalty rights in the country especially the collection and disbursement of fees and dues to copyright holders.

There have been concerns from artists on the disbursement of royalties from the music copyright society of kenya (MCSK). 

Just last month there was an uproar from artists after MCSK sent Sh2,530 as royalty payment to each member via M-Pesa.

As a result of this, President Uhuru Kenyatta  ordered the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), to investigate the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).

“Na pia kwa copyrights na pia tumeona pia labda huko kuna shida, na jana mimi niliamrisha DCI na watu ya EACC waanze upelezi huko tujuwe kama kuna shida huko ya watu kama wanakula pesa ambayo siyo jasho yao. Na hiyo itafanyika na tumesama tunataka report to be made public, na kama kwa ukweli kuna watu wanakula pesa za wenzao washikwe,” said President Kenyatta.

The President, who was speaking during popular musician John Mwangi Ng’ang;a aka De' Mathew’s burial in Gatanga, Murang’a County, also noted that MCSK’s offices will be relocated. 

“The ICT department will be able to know what music has been played and in which station, and ensure musicians are paid for it but the attorney General’s office which is just made up of lawyers,” he said.