The Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) has issued a strong statement condemning recent calls by politicians, led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, to boycott a group of Mt. Kenya artists.
The artists, who met with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki over the weekend, were accused by Gachagua of betraying their community.
The former Deputy President demanded a public apology from the artists, threatening a boycott and encouraging the public to unfollow them if they failed to comply.
Embattled MCSK Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ezekiel Mutua described the boycott call as a form of economic sabotage targeting the livelihoods of its members.
“We are deeply concerned by the unfortunate from senior political leaders urging a boycott of our member’s work, simply because they exercised their constitutional right to freedom of association…” the statement read in part.
“Public performances constitute a vital source of income for our artists,” Mutua said.
He said that introducing divisive political measures that threaten this livelihood is tantamount to destroying the very foundation of their creative enterprise.
The statement further urged entertainment establishments to reject the “Unfortunate and potentially harmful boycott call,”
It also cautioned that any entetainmeent venue that complies with the discriminatory call will not be allowed to play music licensed by MCSK.
Mutua further cautioned against the politicization of the music industry, noting that such actions could reverse the gains made in supporting artists’ livelihoods.
“MCSK will continue to monitor the situation closely and take all necessary measures to ensure that any form of discrimination against our artists is addressed,” the statement concluded.