Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has raised concerns over the low royalties paid to Kenyan creatives, urging the Senate to address the financial challenges facing veteran artists and media personalities.
Speaking in the Senate, Asige said many creatives in Kenya continue to struggle financially despite spending years producing music and other forms of creative work.
She compared the situation with countries such as Nigeria, the United States and those in Europe, where established artists can earn a living from royalties generated by their work.
Asige cited her own experience, saying she received just under Sh3,000 in royalties from collective management organisations (CMOs).
She also referred to veteran gospel musician Reuben Kigame, saying he received about Sh6,000 from the same organisations.
The senator questioned whether Kenya’s royalty collection and distribution system is adequately serving artists who have contributed to the country’s creative and entertainment industries for decades.
She specifically raised concerns about organisations involved in the collection and distribution of royalties, including the Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRSK), Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
Asige called for legislative action to improve the welfare of veteran creatives and ensure they receive fair returns from their work.
During her remarks, she also made a light-hearted intervention involving Senator Godfrey Osotsi, cautioning him over his excitement following the launch of The Equitable Party (TEP) by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna over the weekend.
She then returned to the issue of creatives, as former media personalities and artists visited Parliament.
Asige said the country should find ways of ensuring veteran creatives are able to benefit from the work they produced during their careers instead of facing financial difficulties later in life.