Kindiki leads crackdown on music industry cartels, vows to end exploitation

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during an event on August 20, 2025/DPCS

The government has stepped up efforts to dismantle cartels that have been exploiting musicians, performing artists, and content creators, with the aim of ensuring they earn fairly from their talents.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the Ruto administration has prioritised streamlining the sector that has for long been under the siege of unscrupulous individuals keen to reap where they have not sown.

Speaking Wednesday when he hosted over 2000 musicians, content creators and artists at home in Irunduni, Tharaka Nithi County, Kindiki assured them that the Kenya Kwanza Administration will not abandon them at the mercy of cartels out to impoverish them.

“The cartels in the creative industry must pack and go. We are not requesting them, we are demanding them to exit the stage and allow musicians, content creators and performing artists to benefit from the sweat and talent that God gave them,” DP warned.

Kindiki, who is leading the fight to rid the industry of the cartels, said the government will not relent until the artists and creators get their rightful share.

Noting the millions of money siphoned by those contributing the least as musicians and creatives suffer from earning peanuts, he said there will be no negotiations that will extend an exploitative agenda.

“We will stand firm and fight the cartels. They must stop exploiting the artists. This time round there is no escape route for them, they must leave. It is not possible for one to earn Sh2 million and yet the singer earns Sh2. It is not possible,” he noted.

He said the government will not be intimidated and will repulse any attempt to frustrate it to give up.

“No amount of resistance, court orders or frustration will stop the government from empowering talented youth in the creative and performance industry. The President has assigned me this work. We will not relent in rooting out cartels in the industry. You are going to see a lot of progress this year,” he added.

The battle is already being intensified from many angles including legal means with the government sponsoring various Bills in Parliament geared at improving earnings of the creatives who have suffered for many years.

The State Department of Creative Economy under the Ministry of Youths has also been specially created to look after the affairs of those depending on the sector.  

“We have two new Bills; The Creative Economy Support Bill, 2024 and Culture Bill, 2024 which are now before Parliament. The two will ensure the huge potential in the creative economy is maximized so that our creative artists can earn from their sweat and talent,” DP revealed.

Following successful battles against cartels in the coffee, tea and sugar sectors that have led to notable increase in earnings for farmers, the Deputy President said it is time to shift attention to the creative sector which is worth billions of shillings that end up in undeserving pockets.

“We are starting a national movement to liberate artists, musicians, content creators from the jaws and bondage of cartels and criminals taking away their money. We cannot have a country where people exploit others. The culture of exploitation must come to a stop and the time is now. We will fight for you,” he declared.