A growing number of musicians and industry stakeholders have endorsed the Performing and Audio Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) as the most qualified Collective Management Organization (CMO) to collect and distribute royalties for musicians and audio-visual rights holders.
The artists expressed confidence that PAVRISK has the ability, transparency, and technical capacity to effectively manage royalties across Kenya’s dynamic music and film industries.
Speaking during a public participation forum organized by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) in Nairobi, creators and stakeholders voiced strong support for the organization’s renewal of its operating license. The forum brought together CMOs, musicians, producers, and other creative industry partners to give feedback on the ongoing licensing process.
Kericho-based gospel musician Joel Kimeto praised PAVRISK for its consistency and resilience despite facing legal challenges.
“For the last one year, despite battling several court cases, PAVRISK has demonstrated that it can effectively manage all rights in the music industry,” Kimeto said.
Other industry players, including music publisher Gabriel Torome and audio-visual actor KaJogoo, echoed similar sentiments, saying PAVRISK’s performance over the past year proved its readiness to lead the sector.
PAVRISK Chairman Edwardo Waigwa, supported by Vice Chairperson Daniel Kibuchi, urged KECOBO to renew their license, emphasizing that the organization had fully complied with the Copyright Act 2001 and the Collective Management Regulations 2020.
“We have satisfied all the legal requirements, including the 70/30 rule in distributing royalties – where 70 percent goes directly to artists,” Waigwa noted.
Waigwa disclosed that just two weeks ago, PAVRISK distributed more than Sh24 million to artists and Sh6.9 million to KAMP Copyright and Related Rights, following a consent agreement between the two organizations.
Currently, five companies have applied to KECOBO seeking to be licensed as CMOs authorized to collect and distribute royalties on behalf of creatives. These include PAVRISK, Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP – Copyright and Related Rights Limited), Collective Management Services (CMS), and Film Makers Rights Achievers of Kenya (FRAK) Ltd.
Last year, KECOBO had licensed PAVRISK as the sole multi-rights CMO responsible for managing all rights in the music industry. However, competing CMOs challenged the decision in court, temporarily stalling its operations.
During the public forum, participant after participant backed PAVRISK’s bid, describing it as an organization that has shown integrity, commitment, and a people-first approach to strengthening Kenya’s creative economy. Many argued that granting PAVRISK a renewed license would bring much-needed order, fairness, and professionalism to royalty distribution.
“PAVRISK has proven its dedication to serving artists transparently and effectively. It deserves the mandate to continue championing the interests of musicians and creators,” one participant remarked.
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