Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Kipchumba Murkomen has committed to reforming the management of artists’ royalties to better support Kenya’s cultural and creative sectors.

Addressing attendees at the 96th Kenya Music Festival Winners’ State Concert at Eldoret State Lodge, Murkomen, in his new role, promised to revamp how royalties are distributed to ensure that Kenyan artists receive a larger share of the funds.

Murkomen’s plans

During the event, hosted by President William Ruto, Murkomen outlined plans to work with the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage to review the distribution process managed by Collective Management Organizations (CMOs). His goal is to ensure that artists and their contributions are adequately rewarded.

“We cannot accept a scenario where most of the artists’ royalties are consumed by administrative costs. Our artists deserve more. We will take decisive action to ensure these funds support those who drive our cultural and creative industries,” Murkomen said.

He urged organizations like MCSK, PRISK, and KeMP to improve transparency and fairness in handling these funds. Murkomen emphasized the significant potential of Kenya’s creative sector to impact the economy positively, stressing the need for robust support for artists.

The CS reaffirmed his Ministry’s dedication to initiatives such as Talanta Hela and the WHOZNEXT talent search program. These programs aim to discover, nurture, and develop talent from the grassroots level, making the creative sector a major economic driver for Kenya.

State concert

The State Concert, which was attended by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Second Lady Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, and other leaders, showcased Kenya’s cultural diversity with performances from various artists, including dancers, singers, poets, and choristers.

The event concluded the festival, which involved 145,800 participants from educational institutions nationwide.

Murkomen vowed to reinvigorate Kenya’s creative sector, aiming to make the arts a core component of national identity and a key contributor to economic growth.