Why you may soon not hear Kenyan music in nightclubs, hotels
Two associations representing pub and hotel operators have urged their members to no longer play Kenyan music in their establishments.
Pubs Entertainment and Restaurants Association (Perak) and the Kenya Association of Hotel-keepers and Caterers (KAHC) on Thursday said the ban of local music was is response to raids made to some establishments over an ongoing tussle with musicians and music producers on copyright tariffs.
Perak and KAHC accused Performers Rights Society (Prisk) and Kenya Association of Music Producers (Kamp) of harassment and intimidation.
The two associations said entertainment establishments are being charged new tariffs, which require them to pay 50% of gazetted copyright tariffs, despite their objection.
They urged their members not to pay any money and instead take pictures of the raids and share the details with the associations.
“We have instructed our legal counsel to appear on behalf of all our members as we move to court,” the associations said in a statement on Thursday.
In 2017, pub and hotel operators agreed to pay music royalties based on what they pay county governments as liquor and single business permit fees.
Under the new tariffs, each outlet was to peg the Music Licence fee on 30 per cent of liquor licence fee or 20 per cent of the Single Business Permit (SBP), whichever is higher.