Former Jubilee gubernatorial aspirant for Mombasa Suleiman Shahbal has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta-led government to step up its bid in supporting artistes.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Shahbal said that the government has tried its best in supporting local talents but there is more to be done.
He argued that the national and county governments must work together to support the local talents. The businessman said that artistes have immense contribution towards the economy and they deserve to be supported by all means possible.
“The Government has attempted to protect our artists. There is good effort to protect the copyrights of artists and collect royalties for them. This has helped struggling artists. But the Government should do more and help upcoming artists. County governments should also do the same,” he said.
He added: “Promoting such talent will have a huge positive impact on the youth. It will help them earn and at the same time compete with the western peers. The Government help grow talent by making corporate contribution to the orange economy tax deductible. It is time we take our talent seriously.”
He also said that the government should ensure the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) pays the musicians their royalties on time and in full so that they can pursue their talents.