Sauti Sol’s lead vocalist, Bien-Aimé Baraza, has announced his intention to deregister from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) due to dissatisfaction with the society’s leadership and payment processes.

Inan interview, Bien detailed his frustrations, highlighting a recent incident where MCSK failed to provide transparency regarding his earnings.

“I am actually deregistering from MCSK,” he revealed.

“MCSK called me one time telling me they wanna give me my cheque and that I should get it,” Bien recounted. “Then I asked them how much it is, and they told me it’s a surprise.”

He likened the situation to asking a bank for your account balance only to be told it’s a surprise, expressing his discontent with the lack of professionalism.

Bien’s decision to deregister is rooted in what he describes as systemic issues within MCSK. He said the leadership should prioritize the interests of artists, noting that appointments within the organization should not be political but rather should be based on merit or the needs of musicians.

“The leader of MCSK should have the interests of artists at heart, not just be a political appointee,” Bien asserted.

When asked who he thought deserved the leadership role, he suggested a thorough and open interview process that could even include candidates from outside Kenya.

“We need to interview properly; it might not even be a Kenyan.”

He then questioned how come when we want to run big multinationals we look for leaders all over the world, but when it comes to running something as serious as the lives of musicians, we want to do political appointments.

Bien also referenced words said by Dr. Ezekiel Mutua, the current head of MCSK, who previously claimed that artists would become wealthy under his leadership.

“I was rich before he joined, so I’m waiting to see the artist he is going to make rich,” Bien remarked. “Tunataka kuona hiyo legislation amechange imechange fortune yetu sisi wote.”

The singer’s pointed comments reflect his discontent as an artist with MCSK. His stance brings about the need for reforms within the organization to ensure fair and transparent handling of artists’ earnings and interests.