Ezekiel Mutua has been appointed to the Music Copyright Society of Kenya as its chief executive officer.
Formerly, Mutua was the Kenya Films Classification Board CEO.
In a message considered heartwarming, he vowed to restore the lost glory in the music industry.
Well, if you ask me he is coming to bury it. Bury it from his uncalled bans of the creative works in the Kenyan music industry, just like he did when he was at KFCB.
His work was filled with a lot of religious biases that banned the work of creatives.
Personal biases should not in any way be used to bar anyone’s work, moreover using religion and culture to make it hard for creatives to release their work is uncalled for.
Creatives, both in music and art create content on issues that society is currently facing.
These ex-government officials should not be allowed to impose their religious beliefs on a whole country.
We should allow creatives to create and share experiences instead of passing moral judgement on content that they are just meant to rate.
In his previous job, Mutua and his team ought to rate content, but he went further to ban the content.
The music industry just like the film one is filled with a lot of innovations and creativity.
But the moral cop, Mutua from his experience has included his personal, religious and cultural beliefs in his job.
In the past, he was accused of overstepping his mandate.
His work at KFCB in the past was only supposed to rate films and other media.
But over the years, he took a censorship crusade expanding his mandate into the internet, music and even forcing the cancellation of LGBTQ+ events, movies amongst others.
We wouldn’t want a case where Mutua is discriminating against secular music and promoting gospel songs because probably in his view, secular songs are evil and promote the lack of morals in our society.
I am not sure why MCSK wants to take us for a ride to the past. We have seen how Mutua has found ways to censor the work of creatives in Kenya.
We have seen him in action.
I am baffled about these institutions, do they check someone’s experience, expertise in the said sector before hiring.
What does the ex-KFCB boss know about music, has he been a singer before? A producer? Rapper? Had a music school? none that I know off!!
In my own opinion, this appointment is a disappointment.
The ex-KFCB CEO did nothing for the film industry but ban movies created by global and Kenyan creatives. We should stop elevating mediocrity. Promoting creativity should be his work, not limiting it.
His moralism, religious beliefs and bigoted views in the music and film industry should not be tolerated or welcomed in any way.
He needs to stop strangling creatives with bible quotes and lecturing us on morality.
We need to continue to challenge impunity. Such appointments should not be on our watch.
Youth Activist
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
