Kenya: Government denies CMOs police support... for now

During a submission to the Parliamentary Committee on Sports and Culture on 28 September, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki told members of parliament (MPs) that his ministry would not approve the reinstatement of police escort services until a memorandum stipulating their specific roles is presented.

Before 2021, CMO officers used to have police escorts for their licensing and royalties collection activities, but this practice was later discontinued.

Kindiki told the MPs that the decision to withdraw the support was a result of “a breakdown in the rules of engagement, forcing the police to step away to protect its image following complaints from the public.”

“There were numerous complaints of extortion from the public and it was not clear who was responsible for this,” Kindiki said. “Until a time where an agreement and a memorandum stipulating well-defined roles of each team is presented, the status quo remains.”

The meeting was also attended by officials from three main CMOs – the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) and the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) – and the regulatory body the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), who pleaded with the government to reinstate police support.

KAMP CEO Maurice Okoth said this will enable them to perform their duties effectively, adding that “since the withdrawal of police reinforcement in 2021, royalty collection has dropped drastically.”

Okoth said: “We have observed a direct correlation between the presence of police officers during copyright enforcement activities and the collection of royalties. During the period when we had active police involvement, our royalties collection figures were significantly higher. In 2017, we collected Ksh450m (about $3m) as compared to 2021 where we collected Sh150m.”

The MCSK CEO Ezekiel Mutua said that lack of police presence had entrenched blatant piracy, while KECOBE CEO Edward Sigei added the withdrawal of police had resulted in safety concerns with the enforcement officers being threatened.

After the submissions, the committee asked the CMOs to jointly draw up a memorandum that will address the issues raised by Kindiki to enable the artist to earn what is rightfully theirs. It also urged the CMOs to conduct sensitisation drives across the country to educate the public on copyright matters and the dangers of piracy.

The committee, chaired by Teso South MP Mary Emaase, had invited Kindiki at the request of the CMOs. Emase said the committee is keen to see the creative industry thriving and that it will push for deliberate efforts to bring order in the royalties’ space.