President Uhuru Kenyatta has today invited a group of musicians to statehouse to discuss matters affecting the them and the music industry at large.
The President acknowledged that the musicians had requested to meet him in order to iron out various issues affecting the Kenyan Music industry. He invited them to Statehouse on Tuesday next week.
Kenyan Musicians have for a long time now complained over the lack of government support in helping them sort out the various issues that affect them. Such issues include the piracy menace that has seen many artistes loose a lot of money to unscrupulous individuals that make money from their music illegally. Kenyan Musicians also want a law introduced to help control the amount of foreign content played on Kenyan media; both radio and TV. The artistes have accused the Kenyan Media of prioritizing foreign content at the expense of local content. They want the government to direct local media stations to allocate at least 60% of their airtime to local content.
Collection of revenue for artistes is also an issue that has elicited war of words and wrangles between Kenyan artistes and bodies tasked with collecting these revenue.
The meeting will be expected to finally find a long lasting solution to the above issues and others that may arise.
“Yetu ni Kusema tunamshukuru Mwenyezi Mungu kwa Miaka ambayo amempatia mzee wetu. Wenzetu ambao wamelewa na Mzee Kamaru mumesema mnataka tukutane, mimi nimesema kwasababu tunataka kuhakikisha kuwa nyinyi pia hiyo kipawa mmepata mnaweza ata kusaidia wengine, kujeni next Tuesday tukae tujadiliane, muniambie shida iko wapi, tabu iko wapi, tutasaidiana kwa njia gani, na ndiyo hii industry ya music iwe ni industry ambayo italeta manufaa kwenu na kwa nchi yetu” said the President.
President Kenyatta at Joseph Kamaru’s funeral
President Kenyatta invites a group of musicians to State house on 16th October to have a discussion on how to move the music industry forward pic.twitter.com/f12waIKGlX
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) October 11, 2018
The President was speaking during the burial of the late Benga maestro Joseph Kamaru. The funeral was attended by among others, deputy president William Ruto and opposition Chief Raila Odinga.
Mr. Kamaru was eulogized for mentoring many artistes and for promoting peace and mutual coexistence through his music.
Kamaru passed away on October 3 after developing breathing complications at MP Shah Hospital where he had been admitted.