Which bodies can collect music royalties in Kenya in 2026?

KECOBO licensed two collective management organisations, KAMP and PAVRISK, for the year from 5 November 2025. KAMP’s licence was suspended for 90 days from 1 July 2026, with PAVRISK collecting on its behalf. MCSK was not licensed for that year.

How much of the royalties go to artists?

KECOBO requires that 70% of the royalties collected go to artists, and says the eCitizen collection system is meant to guarantee that.

How much does it cost to join KAMP?

Producers pay a one-off KES 10,000 registration fee. Performers pay KES 5,000 as new members or KES 3,000 if already KAMP members, according to KAMP’s membership page.

Is tax deducted from royalties?

Yes. Whoever pays a royalty must withhold tax: 5% for residents of Kenya and 20% for non-residents, according to KRA.

Music Royalties in Kenya 2026: How Artists Get Paid

Who collects royalties in 2026

Body	Status
PAVRISK (Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya)	Licensed for 5 November 2025 to 4 November 2026; also collecting for KAMP's rights during KAMP's suspension
KAMP Copyright and Related Rights	Licensed for the same year, then suspended for 90 days from 1 July 2026
MCSK (Music Copyright Society of Kenya)	Not licensed for 2025/26; has applied for 2027

Sources: KECOBO licensing statement, 14 October 2025 and KECOBO notice on KAMP, 14 July 2026. While KAMP is suspended, the money PAVRISK collects for KAMP's members sits in a separate trust account and is not paid out until KECOBO gives directions. Check KECOBO's notices for the current position.

Licences for 2027 are being decided now. Six bodies applied after KECOBO's advert of 4 September 2026: MCSK, FRAK, KAMP, Boralways, PAVRISK and Collective Management Services (KECOBO notice).

Royalties on eCitizen

On 23 June 2026, PAVRISK, KAMP and the eCitizen Directorate signed agreements to collect royalties through eCitizen, following a presidential directive. KECOBO says the system will guarantee that 70% of royalties collected go directly to artists (KECOBO statement). Businesses pay for their music licence under this system; see music licence fees for what each business pays.

How an artist registers

You need to be a member, or have your works registered, for a society to know what to pay you. KAMP's membership page lists:

Who can join: anyone who owns rights in at least one commercially available work.
Producers: a one-off registration fee of KES 10,000, proof of the recordings, a declaration form for each recording, and a KRA PIN updated on iTax.
Performers: KES 5,000 for new members, KES 3,000 for existing KAMP members, plus ID, KRA PIN, a copy of the recording and the next of kin's ID.

PAVRISK registers musical and audio-visual rights holders. Its membership page does not list a fee. Ask the society for its current fee before paying, and pay only through the channel on its official site.

How much gets paid out

PAVRISK distributed KES 43.6 million to 5,911 creatives for 2025/26, according to The Standard (18 September 2026). That averages roughly KES 7,400 per creative, though actual payments depend on how often each work was used.

Tax on royalties

Anyone paying a royalty must withhold tax: 5% for residents and 20% for non-residents (KRA). For residents the 5% is an advance, so declare the royalty in your annual return and claim the tax already withheld. Skiza income is covered separately in Skiza tunes and artist earnings.