Kenyan sole Collective Management Organisation (CMO) Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK), formerly PRISK on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, released royalties to it’s verified and approved members.
The news was received well with many local artists who hoped for a lumpsum amount having gone for over three years without their royalties.
However, most if not all artists registered under the PAVRISK were not pleased by the amounts released by the body as royalties.
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Nairobi News has learnt almost 99% of its registered members including Dancehall star KRG The Don received a paltry Sh 3,000, an amount they termed as a big insult to creatives.
Condemning PAVRISK over the amount, albeit in a sarcastic manner, KRG mocked the CMO by claiming the amount he received was too much that he will host a party to celebrate it.
Speaking during an interview with Milele FM’s Tony Mwirigi, KRG confirmed he received Sh 3,000 only after putting in years of work.
Well, the artist joked about the peanuts received but later became serious and blasted officials at PAVRISK for eating money meant for artists.
According to him, these CMOs are used to taking advantage of artists but they are tired and will one day cause mayhem to show such entities that creatives are not jokers.
“Leo tumelipwa mshahara baada ya Miaka kadhaa, nmefurahi kabisa. Tunataka tufanye bash halafu Niende Miami, baada ya hapo ninunue shamba halafu niite watu wote wa village yangu Kila mtu nimgawie udhabiti. Hawa wananatuchezeaga tu but unajua siku Moja tutaamka ndio tupamband na hao watu ndio wajue Tuko serious na hii maisha. Haiwezi kuwa hao wanatutumia sisi na hao Wanakaa kwa ofisi wanakula pesa zetu halafu wanatupatia peanuts,” KRG disclosed.
Asked about how much he feels artists should have received as royalties, the star claimed PAVRISK should have at least sent most hardworking artists over Sh 500,000.
He noted that artists put in a lot of work, invest heavily in their craft and products expecting some good returns.
The artist insisted that artists will not sit back and relax as officials from the CMOs eat their money.
“Wakitupea pesa kidogo inafaa watupee hata Sh 500k. Of course sio Kila msanii but those wenye wanajituma. We cannot all be the same. Kuna wasanii serious kama sisi and kuna wale wanatusindikiza,” he said.
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His sentiments were echoed by Kenya’s top Dancehall artist Nexxie Music who confirmed he also received Sh 3,000 from PAVRISK.
Speaking in an exclusive phone interview with Nairobi News, Nexxie said the amount is an insults to artists who spend a lot on their projects.
According to Nexxie, the CMOs are really demoralising many talents by paying them peanuts when their music was actually streamed widely and made decent amounts of money.
“Sina hata comment. Spent so much to produce music but I get that,” he said.
This is not the first time Kenyan CMOs are accused of giving artists peanuts in royalties and pocketing millions.
It should be noted PAVRISK is the only CMO operating legally in Kenya, having been licensed by the Kenya Copyright Board(KECOBO) as the sole entity for collecting and distributing royalties to Kenyan artists.
This was after KECOBO removed, rather deregistered MCSK and KAMP from the aforementioned role.
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