Mombasa governor candidate Hassan Omar during the launch o his manifesto. [Photo/twitter:Hassan Omar]
Mombasa governor aspirant Hassan Omar now wants politicians who don’t pay royalties to artistes for playing their music during their campaigns arrested and charged.
Omar made the remarks when he led Mombasa Wiper Party aspirants in paying artistes their royalties for their songs used in their campaign trails.
The Senator who presented a Sh574,000 cheque to the Performers’ Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) and the Kenya Association of Music Producers said politicians should help artistes develop instead of denying them their rights.
“Any politician in a convoy or rally playing Kenyan songs without paying royalties must be arrested. We cannot make laws that we do not enforce,” Omar said Monday as quoted by The Star.
The event was held at the Renaissance Centre. All the 30 Wiper ward rep candidates in Mombasa have paid royalties amounting to Sh375,000, added the daily.
PRISK chief executive Angela Ndambuki told the Star on the phone Tuesday that Wiper was the only party in Mombasa whose candidates have paid royalties.
“We want to push for compliance. I hope others can follow suit so each party pays per county. That’s better for us in terms of follow-up. We’ve warned politicians and this week we have started enforcement with the help of police and the Kenya Copyright Board,” she noted.
“We need our rights protected. We earn from our sweat and creativity,” Mombasa-based singer Kelvin Omondi aka Ohm’s Law Montana added.
He said the music industry must be respected if artistes are to benefit and develop.