Lawmakers questioned delays in distributing royalties collected through eCitizen to Kenyan artists.
eCitizen chief Isaac Ochieng says the platform transfers collections to management organisations twice weekly, while KECOBO must oversee payments to artists.
No eCitizen royalty payments have gone directly to Kenyan artists, eCitizen Services Director General Isaac Ochieng told lawmakers. However, he said the platform transfers collections to Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) twice every week.
Ochieng appeared before the National Assembly’s Sports and Culture Committee on November 3. The committee, chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, examined complaints about delayed and undistributed copyright earnings.
Lawmakers questioned compliance with the revenue-sharing formula, which allocates 70 per cent of collections to artists. The remaining 30 per cent covers administrative costs incurred by CMOs.
How eCitizen royalty payments reach artists
Ochieng said eCitizen does not hold on to the revenue it collects through the digital system. Instead, the National Treasury transfers the money to CMOs, which keep the allocations in two separate accounts.
The organisations hold artists’ 70 per cent share separately from their administrative allocation. Ochieng said the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), as regulator, must ensure artists and copyright owners receive their share.
Lawmakers also asked how eCitizen, KECOBO and the CMOs were working together to resolve payment delays. They sought clear timelines for distributing the money to musicians and other rights holders.
To help artists track their earnings, Ochieng said CMOs would need to upload distribution records onto eCitizen after paying royalties. Individual artists would then be able to monitor collections and view their respective earnings through the platform.
Digital collection follows royalty reforms
KECOBO signed service-level agreements in June ahead of the launch of digital royalty collection through eCitizen. The agreements involved the eCitizen Services Directorate, Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) and Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP).
The government first announced the digital collection plan in 2024. A presidential directive in 2025 subsequently required KECOBO to establish a digital mechanism for collecting royalties.
However, KECOBO suspended KAMP for 90 days from July 1 over alleged misappropriation of Ksh5.5 million meant for artists. The regulator found that KAMP had diverted royalty funds to activities unrelated to distribution.
KECOBO also found that the organisation had failed to comply with the mandatory 70:30 revenue-sharing threshold. The committee’s scrutiny focused on the collection process and the responsibility for getting those earnings to copyright holders.
