Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) Copyright and Related Rights Limited has been barred from collecting royalties on behalf of artists for a period of three months, effective 1st July 2026.
Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) suspended KAMP’s operating license in breach of regulations of the Copyright Act, governing Collective Management Organization (CMO)
In a notice signed by the board of Directors Chairman Joshua Kutuny, says KECOBO took on the action after a comprehensive regulatory review of KAMP’s governance, financial management, licensing practices, royalty administration and regulatory compliance.
Kutuny said KAMP has failed to comply with the obligations arising from the consent signed in June last year between KAMP and Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) which was intended to harmonize licensing operations.
“Despite being afforded sufficient opportunity to comply, KAMP has neither implemented nor demonstrated meaningful compliance with th undertakings contained in the consent,” Kutuny added.
The chairman said the board in a meeting held on 26th June 2026 said KAMP has also failed in its obligation of administering copyright royalties honestly, transparently, efficiently, and in the best interests of rights holdersbit represents.
He said th board establishes that distributable royalties amounting to sh 5,514,559.16 was spent on non-core activities, contrary to the statutory obligation imposed on a licensed CMO.
“The board further established that KAMP failed to comply with the 70:30 mandatory royalty distribution principle, resulting in unjustifiable retention and expenditure of distributable royalties to the detriment of the rights holders whom KAMP is licensed to represent,” the notice stated.
The board directed KAMP to immediately cease undertaking all activities requiring a CMO license under the Copyright Act, 2001 (Revised 2022), including
licensing, royalty collection, tariff negotiations, and any other activity reserved for
a licensed CMO.
The regulator also ordered the CMO to cease issuing invoices and licenses, demanding or collecting license fees, negotiating licensing arrangements, or exercising any licensing function.
It also instructed KAMP to submit a comprehensive corrective action and regulatory compliance plan to KECOBO outlining timelines, actions, and responsible officers for addressing every
governance, financial, licensing, operational, and regulatory deficiency identified by the board.
In order to safeguard the interests of rights holders, KECOBO has mandated PAVRISK shall collect royalties for and on behalf of the right ordinarily represented by KAMP within the sectors allocated to KAMP under the applicable licensing framework during the suspension period.
“All monies collected in respect of such right shall be deposited into a separate designated bank account, maintained independently from PAVRISK’S operational and distributable funds.
Kutuny said royalties collected shall be held in trust and shall not be distributed, transferred,applied or otherwise utilized for any purpose unless and until KECOBO issues further directives regarding their management and distribution.
