Rachel Ruto Meets Ezekiel Mutua, 36 Musicians At State House [PHOTOS]

First Lady Rachel Ruto on Tuesday, July 25 hosted Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ezekiel Mutua and 36 pioneer Kenyan musicians at State House.

According to a statement from the First Lady's office, the meeting was aimed at addressing the problems that have impacted the music scene in Kenya for a long time.

During the meeting, Rachel committed to establishing ways in which musicians can earn good money from their craft, uncovering plans to stage four national music conferences in four years.

First Lady Rachel Ruto meets pioneer musicians at State House on July 25, 2023. /OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY

"The First Lady of Kenya, Mama Rachel Ruto, held a consultative meeting with 36 pioneer Kenyan musicians at State House to understand the issues plaguing the sector and find ways to help establish the music industry as a stable economic pillar.

"Mama Rachel Ruto outlined plans to organise four national music conferences and conduct 47 county music talent forums, over the next four years, through the Talent Expression directorate of MaMa Doing Good," the statement read in part.

The First Lady congratulated MCSK on the steps taken to make the music industry a significant contributor to our economy and address music legends' needs through the MCSK Foundation.

Mutua commended the meeting with the Pioneer Gospel Musicians for recognising the men and women in Kenya's music industry who have laid the foundation for authentic music and continue to inspire hope and positive aspirations in the music industry and the country at large.

"Under the Kenya Kwanza Government, MCSK has been granted an operating licence, and new tariffs have been gazetted," added the statement.

The meeting is seen as a strategic move for Rachel Ruto to make the most out of the music industry in Kenya by empowering musicians to reap big profits from showcasing their talent to their loyal fans and popularise the multi-billion dollar industry in the country which in turn attracts new talents.

During the launch of Talanta Hela on Friday, June 9, President William Ruto revealed that the initiative was meant to promote youth's creativity and talents including in the music scene.

To realise this, the Kenya Kwanza government launched a new talent search digital platform, the Talanta Hela application, which is aimed at making the process of scouting for creatives across counties, nurturing them and monetising their skills much easier.

In simple terms, talented Kenyans can now have their craft discovered, be it sports or creatives, through the app which is available for download through the Google Play Store for Android users and the App Store for Apple iPhone users.

Read more: Download The Talanta Hela Govt App & Submit Your Talents In 5 Steps

Meanwhile, MCSK is in the final stages of negotiating an increase in the commission earned by content developers from YouTube from 1.7 per cent to 16.5 per cent.

In addition, implementing the Blank Tape Levy by the Kenya Copyright Board is estimated to generate over Ksh6 billion annually.

The levy will be imposed on blank recording media and is intended to compensate copyright owners for private, non-commercial copying of blank media such as DVDs, flash disks and memory cards.