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Award-winning Kenyan singer Nikita Kering took centre stage on May 13 at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she passionately represented Kenyan artists.
Her mission was to highlight the unfair compensation practices by Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) and digital platforms, and to advocate for stronger protection of intellectual property rights across the continent.
Championing artists'rights at continental level
Nikita, known for her soulful voice and impactful lyrics, used her platform at the AU to shed light on the longstanding struggles Kenyan artists face in securing fair remuneration for their creative work.
“Today, I represent Kenyan artists at the African Union HQ to address the unfair pay from CMOs and digital platforms and to push for stronger AU support in protecting our intellectual property,” she said in a statement that resonated across the region.
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The singer’s appearance marked a significant step in elevating the conversation around artistic rights from a national to a continental agenda, calling on African leaders to take tangible action to reform how artists are rewarded for their work.
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The Role and Challenges of CMOs in Kenya
Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) are bodies mandated to collect royalties on behalf of artists, authors, performers, and producers whenever their work is used.
In Kenya, notable CMOs include the Performance Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK), the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), and the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).
These organisations are supposed to ensure that creators receive fair compensation when their music is played on radio, TV, at public events, or streamed online.
However, these institutions have been mired in controversy, with numerous artists accusing them of mismanagement, lack of transparency, and underpayment.
Audits and reports over the years have highlighted irregularities in how royalties are distributed, with some musicians receiving as little as KSh 2 in a payout cycle.
“You know, we're barely earning from these CMOs, what we call Music Corporate Society of Kenya, we have PRISC, ETC. We're not earning from those platforms,” Nikita lamented.
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She went on to explain that Kenyan musicians largely rely on international royalty systems such as BMI and ASCAP in the United States, or streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music for their earnings—despite having their music heavily consumed within Africa.
“We're actually earning from, you know, platforms abroad, royalty systems abroad. So I think that it's time for the African Union to really join in on that conversation,” she urged.
Kenya, like many African countries, lacks a fully digitised system for tracking music plays across all platforms. This leaves gaps in accountability and allows unscrupulous intermediaries to benefit disproportionately from artists’ work.
Nikita’s call comes at a time when African music is gaining significant global traction. From Afrobeats to Amapiano, African rhythms are shaping global charts and culture. However, the financial reward rarely trickles down to the creators at the heart of this cultural movement.
Artists’ Voices Growing Louder
Nikita joins a growing list of artists and industry professionals in Kenya who have raised concerns over the royalty system.
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READ ALSO: 5 ways Kenyan creators lose money from their music, books, designs, software & social media
Musicians such as Nonini, Eric Wainaina, Khaligraph Jones and Bien-Aimé Baraza have also spoken out about the poor state of royalties in the country. In some cases, artists have even taken legal action to push for accountability and reform.