KENYA: Why MCSK Could Launch Criminal Investigations Against Elani Following their Royalties Claims

Elani created uproar in the music industry this week when they revealed that they received a meager Sh. 31,000 from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) in 2014, only to be given ten times that sum in compensation when they discovered discrepancies.

“After learning of this huge discrepancy, we went and got the log sheets from the broadcasters. But before we even initiated the process to compare the sheets with MCSK’s records, I received a phone call from them and told that the three of us would be get Sh100,000 each as compensation. It was so baffling,” group member Brian Chweya told The Star’s ‘Word Is’ during an interview.

Later many artists joined their cause declairing the little pay in royalties they get from MCSK in a year.

READ:Fellow Artists and Celebrities React to the Elani MCSK Drama

However MCSK has now decided to strike back threatening to launch criminal investigations against the ‘Kookoo’ hit makers claiming the group failed to follow due process.

“When an artiste feels like his/her royalties were not adequately paid or compensated, they are supposed to write a letter to our finance committee to be forwarded to the board. The board then sits and gives an adequate determination to the matter. But Elani never did that,” MCSK chairman Bernard Mukaisi revealed.

“This is just a scheme hatched to paint some employees of the MCSK, including the CEO, in bad light. What was paid to Elani was the recommended amount by the board and their allegation can be a subject of criminal investigations if it’s found to be lies. They are just talking from an ignorant-point of view because they don’t even attend regional meetings where matters concerning the processes are addressed,” the MCSK Chairman added.