“On behalf of my boss, Mike Mbuvi Sonko, I want to say thank you. Artists are an important cog in this county. Our government will appreciate and reward talent.”/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 23 – The Jubilee Party Nairobi gubernatorial team has promised that their administration will revive the art scene in Nairobi should they be elected into office on August 8.
Speaking when he presented a royalties cheque to Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) and Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), deputy governor candidate Polycarp Igathe assured the artists present that their government will reward talent.
“On behalf of my boss, Mike Mbuvi Sonko, I want to say thank you. Artists are an important cog in this county. Our government will appreciate and reward talent.”
He further lamented the poor state of the art scene in Nairobi, promising that together with his boss, they will provide more performing spaces to artists.
“We can tell that in the County of Nairobi, we don’t even have spaces to perform. When I walk through Jevanjee Gardens, I wonder why it’s sitting as a garden when it could be an artists’ space,” noted Igathe.
He blamed the lack of alternative outdoor activities in Nairobi that has forced many residents to prefer staying in bars.
“We want to have events every weekend in Nairobi. Nairobians needs to find something else to do beyond just sitting in the pubs enjoying,” remarked Igathe.
While speaking at the same event, Angela Ndambuki, the PRISK CEO urged all the candidates to get the license to make their campaign work easier.
“If you want to use Music during the campaign, instead of clearing with every single artist, you have a one-stop shop at PRISK,” emphasised Ndambuki.
The other candidates who have complied with the requirements include Jubilee Party’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and the NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
The body had given the notice in local dailies to aspirants to get authorization to use sound recording and audiovisual works in political rallies.
“Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) hereby give notice to all political aspirants that unlicensed communication to the public of sound recording and audiovisual works in political rallies and campaigns constitutes illegal exploitation of producer and performer works in accordance with the Copyright Act Cap 30 Laws of Kenya,” read part of the notice.
Igathe had represented Sonko, the Jubilee Party’s Nairobi Gubernatorial candidate who was on the campaign trail in Mukuru Kwa Njenga.
He also took the opportunity to highlight their agenda for Nairobi promising that should they be elected, they will focus on creating opportunities in the arts scene, reduce traffic by focusing on the non-motorised system, create employment for the youth and make Nairobi safe.
Apart from presenting the cheque, Igathe also met with the artists who are members of KAMP and PRISK in a bid to come up with a manifesto that will address their needs.
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