NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has suspended the operating licence of the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) Copyright and Related Rights Limited for three months, barring the organisation from collecting royalties on behalf of artists during the period.
The suspension took effect on July 1, 2026, following what KECOBO described as a comprehensive regulatory review of KAMP’s governance, financial management, licensing practices, royalty administration and compliance with the Copyright Act.
Regulatory review cites compliance failures
In a notice signed by KECOBO Board Chairman Joshua Kutuny, the regulator said KAMP had failed to comply with obligations arising from a consent agreement signed with the Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) in June 2025.
The agreement was intended to harmonise licensing operations between the two collective management organisations.
“Despite being afforded sufficient opportunity to comply, KAMP has neither implemented nor demonstrated meaningful compliance with the undertakings contained in the consent,” Kutuny said.
Concerns over royalty management
KECOBO also accused KAMP of failing to administer copyright royalties transparently, efficiently and in the best interests of the rights holders it represents.
According to the regulator, a review found that royalties amounting to KSh5.5 million that should have been distributed to rights holders were instead spent on non-core activities.
The board further alleged that KAMP failed to comply with the mandatory 70:30 royalty distribution principle, resulting in the retention and expenditure of funds that should have been paid to artists and other rights holders.
“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.
KAMP ordered to halt operations
As part of the suspension, KECOBO directed KAMP to immediately stop all activities requiring a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) licence under the Copyright Act.
The restrictions include:
- Licensing copyrighted works
- Collecting royalties
- Negotiating tariffs and licensing agreements
- Issuing invoices and licences
- Demanding or collecting licence fees
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The regulator also instructed KAMP to submit a comprehensive corrective action and compliance plan outlining how it intends to address governance, financial and operational deficiencies identified during the review.
PAVRISK to collect royalties during suspension
To safeguard the interests of rights holders, KECOBO appointed PAVRISK to collect royalties on behalf of rights ordinarily represented by KAMP during the suspension period.
The board said all revenue collected would be deposited into a separate designated bank account and held in trust until further directives are issued regarding distribution.
“Royalties collected shall be held in trust and shall not be distributed, transferred, applied or otherwise utilised for any purpose unless and until KECOBO issues further directives regarding their management and distribution,” Kutuny said.
The suspension is expected to have significant implications for Kenya’s music industry, where collective management organisations play a central role in licensing copyrighted works and distributing royalties to artists, producers and rights holders.
