High riding Luo Rhumba musician Eliakim Rogo has given a thumbs up to President Uhuru Kenyatta after he gave a direction requiring all Content Service Providers to channel all payments of royalties through a single, centrally managed account at the Kenya Copyright Board.

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While addressing the press in Mombasa on Tuesday, the President said that this will enable oversight by the regulator and ensure that the collection and distribution accounts are easily auditable, which will, in turn, ensure that producers and musicians earn better from their music, and talent for that matter.

In an interview with Hivisasa on Saturday, Rogo said that musicians stand a high chance of earning better from royalties if the order is fully implemented.

 “That is a good directive from the President, it will really help us. We have really suffered. Musicians like me who have shows are somehow getting something from their music, what of those who do not have shows? How do they survive?” paused Rogo. 

The musician said that organisations charged with the responsibility of collecting royalties on behalf of musicians such as the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) and the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) have failed due to the meagre amount of money they pay artists every year.

Mid last year, several artists hit out at MCSK for paying them a paltry Sh2,530 as royalties, with a section of musicians among them Rogo deciding to join PRISK which turned out to be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire.

“Recently, PRISK send musicians Sh3,348 with claims that they are interim royalties. It was a case of moving out of the frying pan into the fire,” he said.

Rogo, former gospel rhumba turned Luo rhumba musician is riding high with various hits among them Caro Nyathi Nyabando (Caro the child of Nyabondo), Safari ya Mapenzi (the journey of love) and Osiepe Maradiera (true friends).

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