Performing and Audio Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) CEO Joseph Njagih (left) and KAMP Copyright and Related Rights CEO Maurice Okoth (rigt) at the signing of agreement with the directorate of E-Citizen at KECOBO offices last week to roll out collection of royalties through the E-Citizen platform.[File]
The woes facing the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) have deepened after the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) dissolved its Board of Directors and ordered the suspension of Chief Executive Officer Maurice Okoth.
In a public notice signed by KECOBO chairman Joshua Kutuny, the regulator directed KAMP’s board to immediately suspend Okoth and other officers involved in matters under investigation.
The decision was made during a special board meeting held on August 24, 2026, which also resolved that KAMP directors vacate office immediately and elections for a new board be held within 30 days.
The latest action follows KECOBO’s 90-day suspension of KAMP’s operating licence, effective July 1, over alleged financial and governance breaches.
KECOBO said it had established that Sh5.5 million in royalty funds meant for distribution to rights holders had been diverted and spent on activities unrelated to royalty distribution.
The regulator also accused KAMP of failing to comply with its directives and a June 2025 consent agreement with the Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK), which sought to harmonise licensing operations.
Other concerns raised by KECOBO included undercutting approved licensing tariffs, excessive litigation using royalty funds, failure to comply with board tenure requirements and weaknesses in the system used to distribute royalties.