• 'It is a win for the industry but from past experiences'
Image: Courtesy
Kenyan artistes will soon be smiling all the way to the bank after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage to set aside Sh100 million to cushion local artistes during the pandemic.
Speaking to Word Is, rapper Frasha, who also works with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Machakos County government, said it is a plus for the industry.
"It is a win for the industry but from past experiences, we have had people try to take advantage of this. We will put them on notice. This money that has been given to cushion artistes should be used to do just that. We demand transparency on how it will be distributed and to whom it will be distributed to," he said.
In a public address, President Uhuru Kenyatta said,"As a Government, we will continue to take the necessary measures to cushion Kenyans against the impact of the current pandemic.
"In that regard, I am pleased to note that the interventions we had committed to undertake in my inaugural address to the nation at the beginning of the year 2020 are paying dividends.
"As a beginning of many firsts, our agenda to empower our youth and foster sustainable livelihoods is gaining momentum.
"Today, our local Artists have begun drawing higher royalties."
"I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, in collaboration with Kenya Copyright Board, Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) have established a framework to ensure full transparency for artist’s earnings."
Adding,"My Administration has projected that a total of Sh200 million every month will be paid to musicians through the system and other platforms.
"This translates to over Sh2 billion going into the pockets of Kenyan artists. These payments will begin this week in line with the pledge I made in January."
Uhuru noted in his speech,
"I further direct the Ministry of Sports, Culture, & Heritage to avail additional support of Sh100 million from the Sports Fund to our artists, actors and musicians, during the period of the covid-19 pandemic."
This comes a week after singer Willy Paul asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to come to the aid of artistes who are suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through a letter on his social media pages, Willy Paul said the entertainment scene has been badly hit since artistes no longer have events and are finding it hard to make ends meet.
“We have families that look up to us…right now we’re all home, not making any money..." he said.
The President did not, however, mention which system will be used to distribute the funds which are supposed to serve over 30,000 creatives.
The CMOs have also been put on the hot seat as they will have to collect over Sh200m monthly for distribution.