Africa-Press – Kenya. Half of the Ksh100 million cash out that President Uhuru Kenyatta promised artists – including musicians and actors struggling with the economic effects of the lockdown – has been reported missing.
The president directed Treasury to release Ksh100 million to cushion artists through the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on April 6, 2020. The state department of culture was responsible for distributing the funds to creatives.
However, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) found that Ksh48 million of the boom could not be accounted for.
The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) summoned the Ministry of Sports and Culture Principal Secretary (PS) Joseptha Mukobe to explain the whereabouts of the funds.
Garissa MP Aden Duale, who sits in the PAC, was gravely concerned with whether or not targeted artists received the money.
Mukobe was given until the end of Wednesday, July 28 to table full details clarifying disbursement of the money as well as the list of beneficiaries before Parliament.
On Tuesday, July 27, PAC members concluded that the explanation offered by the PS was unsatisfactory.
Mukobe asserted that the funds had been wired to three state departments: the State Department of Culture, the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), and the Kenya Museums.
She emphasized that the above-mentioned bodies paid artists in the required timelines but wanted more time to provide proof of payment.
The news came as ODM leader Raila Odinga and multiple dignitaries and industry stakeholders attended a festival to celebrate laws passed to promote the work of musicians.
Hundreds of musicians flocked to the home of Royal Media Services (RMS) owner SK Macharia in Ndakaini, Murang’a county, where the event was held.
Kenyan artists have been exempted from the 25 per cent excise duty claim. This new move is aimed at increasing their earnings from music sharing platforms. Removal of the duty was lobbied for by Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga who chairs the National Assembly’s Finance Committee.
Moreover, Wanga announced intentions to table pro-artist amendments to the Copyright Act. This would enable artists to own greater shares when it comes to revenues from ringback tunes.
On the Skiza Platform, artists will receive 43 cents for each shilling earned, up from 16 cents initially.
Additionally, the delegation of musicians called for a revamp of Kenya’s Copyright Board, which they claimed had been oppressive.
