KAMP Rejects KECOBO Allegations, Seeks Review of Licence Suspension
By ATN
NAIROBI, July 6, 2026 — Kamp Copyright and Related Rights Ltd. (KAMP) has strongly rejected allegations of financial mismanagement by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), saying the regulator suspended its operating licence without giving the collective management organisation a fair hearing.
In a statement issued on Monday, KAMP said it was surprised by KECOBO’s July 1 public notice, which suspended its licence and accused the organisation of embezzlement of funds. KAMP denied the allegations, describing them as unfounded and saying it first learned of the claims through the public notice.
The organisation said it has formally written to KECOBO requesting evidence to support the allegations and maintained that it remains ready to engage constructively with the regulator to resolve the matter.
KAMP argued that it had consistently cooperated with KECOBO on governance and operational matters. It said the regulator raised concerns in a letter dated May 14, to which KAMP responded four days later with the requested documentation. The organisation also said it submitted its royalty distribution schedule to KECOBO on June 16 before making any distributions, contrary to claims contained in the regulator’s notice.
According to KAMP, KECOBO did not mention any allegations of embezzlement in its earlier correspondence and proceeded to suspend its licence without considering the organisation’s response or granting it an opportunity to be heard.
The organisation further pointed to its recent partnership with the government’s eCitizen platform as evidence of its commitment to transparency and accountability. KAMP said it signed a service level agreement with eCitizen on June 23 in the presence of KECOBO Chairperson and the Acting Executive Director.
KAMP said it was among the first collective management organisations to support the eCitizen joint licensing initiative because it believes the platform will improve royalty collection and strengthen collaboration between the government and copyright management organisations.
However, the organisation clarified that its concerns were not about the eCitizen project itself but the proposed allocation of music licensing tariffs under the new system.
KAMP said it had written to KECOBO on June 30 expressing concern that the proposed tariff structure allocated 20 tariff categories to another collective management organisation while assigning only four to KAMP.
It argued that the allocation would significantly reduce its administrative revenue, making it difficult to fulfil its statutory obligations and continue serving its members, including Kenyan artistes, performers and international record companies that have entrusted it with managing their rights.
KAMP said the proposed arrangement would undermine fair competition among collective management organisations and weaken its ability to protect the interests of rights holders.
Despite the dispute, the organisation reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the issues through dialogue and within the framework of the Copyright Regulations, 2020, as well as international best practices outlined in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Good Practice Toolkit for Collective Management Organisations.
KAMP also assured its members that protecting their rights remains its highest priority and thanked them for their continued support during the ongoing dispute.
The organisation said it would continue updating its members and stakeholders as discussions with KECOBO progress.
