Willy Paul is among leading Kenyan artists who expressed their surprise after receiving a Sh4,000 royalties payment from the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK).
PRISK is one of three Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) licensed to represent Kenyan artists and protect their intellectual property in addition to ensuring that they are remunerated for use of their art.
This week they paid out royalties three months after receiving their licence from the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO).
Several top artists appeared to receive the same payment of Sh4,000.74 sent straight to their mobile money accounts despite having achieved different levels of success with their releases in the last year. Others, however, received much lower amounts.
Other artists who confirmed having received the Sh4k payment include Wangechi, Nikita Kering, Kenzo and Sage.
While Willy Paul who was recently trending for his latest song 'Lamba Nyonyo' revealed news of the PRISK payment in a private music industry Whatsapp group, others such as Wangechi and Sage confirmed the same on Twitter.
Willy Paul has had a stellar past year in terms of making waves on the East African music, headlining shows and releasing several chart toppers such as 'Hallelujah' and 'Shado Mado' featuring Nandy and Alaine respectively.
Kenyan music has traditionally suffered from mismanaged CMOs with selfish interests at play.
Popular group Elani famously took on the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) after receiving shockingly low payments in a year that they ruled the airwaves with singles such as 'Jana Usiku' and 'Koo Koo'.
Progress appeared to have been made earlier this year when PRISK, MCSK and Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) resolved to harmonise their structures to allow for issuance of a joint licence to businesses and individuals using rightsholders' work.
A single digital licensing system was also to be set up.
On her payment, rapper Wangechi remembered legendary Abbas Kubaff exposing a Sh900 payment he received in 2012for the smash-hit 'Tokelezea' by Chantelle which featured him.
Many artists still feel that many officials of CMOs are out to enrich themselves at the expense of hard-working artists who continue to languish.