Benga musician Dan Aceda appointed to KECOBO
By Rajab ZawadiAttorney General Dorcas Oduor has appointed Benga musician Dan Aceda, Sarah Wanjiru Migwi and Agatha Lutala Karani as board members of the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) for a three-year term.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 6 of the Copyright Act, the Attorney General appoints Agatha Lutala Karani, Sarah Wanjiru Migwi, and Dan Okoth Aceda as board members of the Kenya Copyright Board for three (3) years with effect from April 25, 2025,” a gazette notice reads.
Aceda is known for his blend of R&B, neo-soul, and benga and is a vocal art activist. He is also a successful entrepreneur with SemaBOX Africa and has worked extensively in film and other niche creative areas.
His appointment, along with that of the other two, comes at a time when KECOBO has been at the centre of controversies involving the management and distribution of royalties by CMOs to Kenyan artists.
The institution has been accused severally by officials of the Collective Management Organization of interfering with the running of the CMOs.
The Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) previously accused KECOBO of diverting Ksh300 million into a government account and illegally retaining 30 percent.
In April 2024, the High Court restrained KECOBO from renewing the licenses of the three CMOs: MCSK, PRISK, and the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP).
This decision came after the petitioners raised issues about the renewal process and the operations of these CMOs.
Following the suspension of the three CMOs, KECOBO granted a one-year license to the Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK), formerly PRISK, to act as the sole organization responsible for collecting and distributing royalties to artists.
However, the decision to exclusively license PAVRISK was challenged in the Copyright Tribunal. In September 2024, the Tribunal nullified KECOBO’s appointment of PAVRISK as the sole CMO to collect and distribute royalties. KECOBO challenged the Tribunal’s decision in the High Court, which subsequently ruled in April this year that KECOBO was at fault and ordered the Administrative Body to issue interim six-month operating licenses to MCSK, KAMP, and PRISK under a joint licensing regime.