The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has suspended the operating licence of the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) for 90 days, accusing the collective management organisation of mismanaging royalty funds, failing to comply with regulatory directives and breaching governance requirements.
The suspension took effect on July 1 and means KAMP cannot issue licences, collect royalties or negotiate licensing agreements while the action remains in force.
KAMP is one of the organisations licensed to collect royalties from businesses that publicly use recorded music and distribute those funds to producers and other copyright holders.
In a public notice issued on Wednesday, KECOBO said the decision followed “a comprehensive regulatory review of KAMP’s governance, financial management, licensing practices, royalty administration, regulatory compliance and overall performance as a licensed Collective Management Organization.”
According to the regulator, the review found that KAMP had committed “serious and persistent breaches of the Copyright Act, the Copyright (Collective Management) Regulations, the conditions attached to its license and lawful directives issued by KECOBO in exercise of its supervisory mandate.”
KECOBO also alleged that KAMP “has failed to discharge its fiduciary obligation of administering copyright royalties honestly, transparently, efficiently and in the best interests of the rights holders it represents.”
Among the most significant claims is that more than Ksh 5.5 million in royalties intended for rights holders was spent on activities unrelated to royalty distribution.
The Board stated that “royalty funds intended for distribution to rights holders were diverted, misappropriated and embezzled through their application to activities unrelated to royalty distribution.”
It further alleged that Ksh. 5,514,559.16 in distributable royalties “were expended on non-core activities, contrary to the statutory obligations imposed on a licensed Collective Management Organization.”
“Lawful Instructions”
KECOBO also accused KAMP of repeatedly ignoring lawful instructions from the regulator.
“The Board established that KAMP has persistently failed and/or refused to comply with lawful directives issued by the Kenya Copyright Board,” the notice says, adding that despite repeated engagements, KAMP “has neither implemented nor demonstrated meaningful compliance” with commitments contained in a consent agreement signed in June 2025.
The regulator further alleged that KAMP charged licence fees below the approved government tariffs, saying the organisation “issued licenses and invoiced users at rates inconsistent with the gazetted licensing tariffs approved under the Copyright Act.”
According to KECOBO, this “resulted in the under-collection of royalties to the detriment of rights holders.”
The Board also cited governance concerns, alleging that some directors had remained in office beyond the legal term limits and that KAMP’s royalty distribution system lacked sufficient documentation to demonstrate that payments were “fair, equitable, transparent and accountable.”
As part of the suspension, KECOBO has directed KAMP to stop all licensed activities immediately, refund and account for the Ksh. 5.5 million it says, was improperly used, conduct fresh board elections, provide unrestricted access to its financial and governance records and submit a corrective action plan before its licence can be reconsidered.
PAVRISK appointed in the interim
To ensure royalty collection continues during the suspension, KECOBO has appointed the Performing and Audio Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK) to temporarily collect royalties in the sectors previously served by KAMP.
The regulator said the money will be held in a separate trust account until further directions are issued.
KECOBO said it will only consider reinstating KAMP’s licence once it is satisfied that all governance, financial and regulatory concerns have been addressed.
“The Board shall review KAMP’s regulatory status upon expiry of the suspension period or such time as it may deem appropriate,” the notice states.
It adds: “No reinstatement of the operating license shall be considered unless KECOBO is satisfied that KAMP has fully remedied all governance, financial, licensing, compliance and regulatory deficiencies identified by the Board.”
At the time of publication, KAMP had not issued a public response to KECOBO’s latest suspension notice.
The organisation has, however, previously disputed the regulator’s actions in earlier licensing disagreements and maintained that it is committed to transparency, accountability and protecting the interests of rights
The post KECOBO suspends KAMP’s licence for 90 days appeared first on KBC Digital.