Kenya: MCSK dismisses fake letter claiming CEO Ezekiel Mutua has been fired

The letter, dated 4 April and titled “Termination of Employment by Dismissal of Ezekiel Mutua”, was attributed to Lazarus Muli and claimed that Mutua’s contract as chief executive officer had been terminated with effect from 3 April 2025.

“The Board of Directors of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya Limited (MCSK) hereby notifies MCSK members, staff, stakeholders, and the public at large that it has terminated the employment of Ezekiel Mutua as the chief executive officer effective 3 April 2025,” the statement read. It further warned that Mutua was no longer authorised to conduct any business on behalf of the organisation and that MCSK would not be liable for any commitments or engagements made by him.

In response, MCSK national chairman Ephantus Kamau urged the public to disregard the letter, stating that the author had no legal standing to issue such a directive. “Dr Lazarus Muli is merely a member with no locus standi to issue employment decisions. His tenure as a board member lapsed on 16 February 2025,” Kamau said.

Kamau added that Muli is currently subject to restraining orders and is facing contempt of court proceedings. “The individual behind this letter is a former board member attempting to interfere with the operations of the organisation despite his term having ended,” he said.

This is not the first time Mutua’s role as MCSK CEO has been discredited in public. In November last year, an anonymous notice circulated on social media falsely claimed that he had been suspended from office. At the time, Muli, who was serving as the MCSK national chairperson, dismissed the notice as “insidious propaganda.”