The newly appointed CEO of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) Ezekiel Mutua has reiterated his commitment to improving the welfare of Kenyan artistes.
Mutua said that unlike his previous role as CEO of the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), he won’t be a regulator at MCSK but a defender of the rights of musicians.
In fact, Ezekiel Mutua claims he will turn Kenyan artistes into billionaires. Lol!
“There’s so much money belonging to musicians that is being held by different copyright consumers because of mistrust and allegations of mismanagement,” he said.
“At KFCB, I was a regulator; so I was not there to make friends. But in my new role, I am here to fight for artists. My promise to all musicians is “pesa mfukoni”. I am here to make our artists billionaires. I will fight for artistes the same way I fought for journalists while at the Kenya Union of Journalists,” he declared.
Following his appointment at MCSK, a section of artistes expressed their disapproval. But Mutua insists he is the right man for the job and says he is overqualified for the role.
“It’s important to understand that the staff of MCSK are not musicians. We have different departments that require different expertise including finance, HR, communications and legal, among others,” Mutua said.
“Those questioning the suitability of my appointment should know that I went through a competitive process and emerged top among the candidates interviewed. I am actually overqualified for the job if the advert that was placed in the papers is anything to go by,” he said.
Mutua asked people should give him a chance and judge him by his work. He said he was being judged unfairly during his tenure at KFCB.
“The media has always been unfairly harsh. Some of the headlines and nicknames that have been thrown at me are completely unnecessary. You may not agree with my professional stand but remember, I am a father, a son and an uncle. How do you think my family feels when they read your headlines and ridicule?” he posed.
According to Mutua, “90 per cent of the public” thinks he did a good job at KFCB. He said he will do the same at MCSK.
“Watch this space; I have not failed in the past and do not think I will fail in negotiating for a way out of this matter for the sake of musicians. We do not have to let artists suffer because of technical legal matters in court. I believe we can engage on payment schedules with all the consumers of musical content to pay,” said Dr Mutua.
