In what has turned out to be an annual reminder of the meagre royalty pay by PRISK (Performers Rights Society of Kenya) to Kenyan artists, entertainers have taken to social media to express their displeasure.
Wangechi, Nikita Kering, KRG The Don decry meagre PRISK royalty payment
Singer and podcaster Wangechi took to Twitter to cry foul over the royalty payment, writing;
“Annual reminder that being an artist in Kenya is still an extreme sport.”
The media personality disclosed she had received Ksh1,215 from PRISK as the artist’s annual royalties for the year 2021.
Songstress Nikita Kering who released her album, ‘Ex’ in 2021 also shared evidence of receiving only Ksh 1,215.
Rapper KRG the Don, poked fun at the situation, writing;
“We’ve now received money to the tunes of billions. Who wants a loan? The money we were waiting for is here. Our president we are so proud of you!”
About PRISK
PRISK is a body tasked with collecting remuneration on behalf of rights holders from various users of works and distributing royalties.
For a couple of years, Kenyan musicians have complained about the meagre payment they receive from the body.
In 2020 Otile Brown called on Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and ensure that officials at MCSK, PRISK, and KAMP face the full force of the law for stealing from Kenyan artists annually.
The singer’s statement came after an audit report by Kenya Copyright Board noted theft of artists’ money by the bodies put in charge of collecting royalties.
The forensic audit from 2017 to 2019 exposed systemic inefficiencies including; diversion of royalties, poor corporate governance structures, suspected fraudulent transactions, poor record-keeping, and the existence of ghost members.
