By Khalifa Hemed
Published May 17, 2020
Almost 40 days after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s announcement on April 6, 2020 that the Government of Kenya was disbursing Sh100 Million (about (US$1 Million) to ‘artists, actors and musicians‘ to cushion them against the disruptive effect of Coronavirus pandemic, no ‘artists, actors and musicians’ has received any money.
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The President, in a national address from State House in the capital, Nairobi, had, while directing the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage to provide the money from the Sports Fund, that the money would be paid out immediately to enable ‘artists, actors and musicians’ continue entertaining the public through TV, radio and the internet.
“I direct the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage to avail Sh100 million from the Sports Fund to our artists, actors and musicians during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic so they may continue to entertain their fellow brothers and sisters through TV, radio and the internet,” Kenyatta said.
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But even before the President had wound up his address on COVID-19 in Kenya, tongues had already started wagging on the said Sh100 Million with questions arising not just on the definition of ‘artist’ but also on the criteria to be used in deciding which ‘artist’ got a portion of the money from the Sports Fund.
‘Artist’ and ‘Sports’ are not synonymous, are they? How could money from the Sports Fund be given out to ‘artists, actors and musicians’ as if Sports and Culture were one and the same thing?
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Critics pointed out that though writers, painters, sculptors, architects, fashion designers and graphic designers are ‘artists’, the President had concentrated on actors and musicians whose interests are addressed through three collective management organisations (CMOs): Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
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So what is delaying the payout that should have been made 40 days ago?
KAMP, MCSK and PRISK have issued a joint statement on the status of the Sh100 Million to the ‘artists, actors and musicians’ saying it is yet to be availed to them for distribution to their members.
“Since the pronouncement, we have noted that there are speculations, confusion and mixed reactions among creatives as well as members of the public on various media platforms regarding these funds,” the CMOs write in a statement titled President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 100M to Creatives During COVID 19 Period and posted on Facebook on May 4, 2020.
KAMP, MCSK and PRISK inform their members that they, together with the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs and Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), are handling the issue ‘quickly and efficiently’ and that “Any forthcoming developments on the issue will be communicated promptly”.
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