The government intends to use eCitizen to pay artist royalties

The Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has announced ambitious plans to modernize the payment of artists’ royalties using the government’s eCitizen platform.

In a statement issued on February 11, the CS revealed that efforts are underway to amend the Copyright Act, which will facilitate the establishment of a government-operated Collective Management Organisation.

Once implemented, artists will be able to conveniently monitor their royalty earnings through the centralized eCitizen platform.

“All music copyrights and royalties will be processed via eCitizen. Artists will have individual registrations, enabling them to track their earnings online. The era of artist exploitation is coming to an end,” he stated on his X platform.

Currently, copyright royalties are managed and distributed by organizations such as the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), and the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).

However, artists affiliated with these associations have frequently complained about insufficient compensation and irregular payment of royalties.