KECOBO suspends KAMP licence for 90 days over royalty mismanagement

The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has suspended the operating licence of the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) for three months, effective 1st July 2026.

The Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) Copyright and Related Rights Limited is accused of mismanaging royalty funds, failing to comply with regulatory directives and breaching governance requirements.

In a notice signed by the board of Directors Chairman Joshua Kutuny, says KECOBO took the action after a comprehensive regulatory review of KAMP's governance, financial management, licensing practices and regulatory compliance. 

Kutuny argues that the Kenya Association of Music Producers (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 said.

He added that the board establishes that distributable royalties amounting to sh 5.5 million which 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 related activity mandated for a licensed CMO.

The regulator has also ordered the CMO to cease issuing invoices and licenses, demanding or collecting license fees, negotiating licensing arrangements or exercising any licensing function.

The notice also instructs KAMP to submit a comprehensive action plan and regulatory compliance report to KECOBO, outlining timelines and responsible officers for addressing every governance, financial, licensing, operational and regulatory gaps identified by the board.

KECOBO has also mandated PAVRISK to 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.

Kutuny has also directed that all royalties collected shall be held in trust and shall not be distributed, transferred,applied or otherwise utilized for any purpose and until KECOBO issues further directives regarding their management and distribution.