The Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) has dismissed reports that the Society’s Board suspended the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ezekiel Mutua.
In a statement on Monday, November 25, MCSK CEO Dr. Lazarus Muli flagged down a fake poster purporting that Mutua has been dismissed from his position.
He explained that the fake poster is being circulated by cartels in the industry who are unhappy with the great work Dr. Mutua is doing for MCSK and the music industry in general.
Muli said Mutua has brought change in the music industry that has for far too long been held hostage by cartels at the expense of the artists.
He emphasized that the material is bound to attract enemies, but the Society is fully behind the CEO and his team as they transform the industry.
“In the meantime, our members and stakeholders can rest assured that Dr. Mutua is in charge and the MCSK leadership is fully behind him,” Muli said.
MCSK has requested members and stakeholders to dismiss the propaganda being peddled with the contempt it deserves.
“Appropriate action is being taken against the authors of the malicious documents to ensure that they face the law for defamation and spreading falsehoods,” he added.
The Fake Poster
The poster claimed that MCSK Board of Directors suspended Mutua as CEO on Saturday, November 23, 2024.
According to the poster, Mutua was therefore not allowed to act on behalf of MCSK adding that the Society will not be responsible for any agreement made with him.
“This is to inform the general public, stakeholders and our esteemed members that Dr Ezekiel Mutua (whose photo appears above), has been suspended and is NOT allowed to conduct business on behalf of MCSK,” read part of the poster.
“MCSK shall NOT therefore be liable for any contractual obligations that arise from engaging with the said person.”
This was followed by another letter from MCSK to Mutua informing him of the decision.
MCSK Letter
The Board said the suspension was in reference to the Orders of Justice Chigiti(S.C) issued on August 16, 2024, and the ruling issued on November 20, 2024.
It explained that the orders allowed the newly elected Board of Directors of the MCSK to assume office.
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MCSK Directors noted that the said Orders were vacated by the same Judge on November 20, 2024, as the Court lacked jurisdiction to issue them initially.
Further, the Board said the decision followed the Application dated 20th August 2024 by the Honorable Attorney General (Business Registration Service.
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Accusations Against Ezekiel Mutua
This comes after Mutua was accused of financial mismanagement within society.
In February, legendary rapper Nonini accused the MCSK Directors of benefiting more from the funds meant for artists.
In a statement on X, He highlighted figures showing that out of the Ksh109,030,384 collected by MCSK in the year 2023, only Ksh10,500,000 was distributed to artists.
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“This is a problem in all CMOs administration and directors benefit more than anyone,” Nonini stated.
However, Mutua denied the allegations and accused the rapper of embezzling funds during his tenure as a director at the Music Publishers Association of Kenya (MUPAKE) and the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
“There’s this fugitive @Noninimgenge2ru who embezzled musicians’ money when he was a director of MUPAKE & PRISK. We reported him and his gang to the police last week and we are pursuing their prosecution,” Mutua stated in a tweet.
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