Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), the state-owned media outlet, is under increasing scrutiny as reports emerge that numerous artists contracted by the organization have not been paid for over two months.
This group includes performers, content creators, and technical staff who have been actively contributing to KBC productions without receiving any compensation.
For many of these individuals, KBC assignments represent their primary source of income, and the ongoing payment delays have led to significant financial hardship, making it difficult for them to cover essential expenses like rent and school fees.
Despite KBC continuing to broadcast shows produced with the help of these workers, there has been no official acknowledgment from management regarding the payment issues or any proposed timeline for resolution.
This lack of communication has fueled frustration among those affected, prompting them to seek public accountability from the corporation’s leadership. They are now appealing to digital activists and whistleblowers to highlight the situation and question the responsibility of the Managing Director and senior executives in allowing this payment backlog to continue.
“Dear Cyprian Nyakundi. We are reaching out to you with deep frustration and disappointment over the ongoing payment delays affecting artists contracted by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). For over two months now, several artists who have diligently delivered their creative work ranging from performance to production have not received their rightful compensation. These delays are not only unfair, but they also reflect a deeper disregard for the role of artists in shaping national content and culture. Most of these individuals depend solely on such gigs to earn a living, and going unpaid for months has left many struggling with rent, school fees, and basic necessities. This is not the first time KBC has been flagged for failing to honour payment obligations. The trend must stop. We humbly request that you, Mr. Nyakundi, use your powerful platform to amplify this concern. KBC’s Managing Director must be tagged, questioned, and held accountable. The silence is becoming louder than the promises made. These artists are not asking for favors only what they have earned.”
KBC has a documented history of recurrent delays in paying artists and contractors, a pattern that points to systemic issues rather than isolated lapses.
In early 2024, comedian Chipukeezy revealed that the corporation had delayed payments for his show since November 2023, forcing him to halt production and affecting multiple contributors tied to the project.
Reports from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya in February 2024 indicated that KBC owed artists over Ksh 300 million, with concerns that such delays had become normalized within the broadcaster.
These delays have also impacted royalty payments with KBC being among the major defaulters, even as it continues to utilize creative content for programming and commercial broadcasts.
The issue extends beyond artists to KBC staff and suppliers, many of whom have faced delayed salaries, irregular payments and even unremitted statutory deductions over the years.
In 2019, the broadcaster was reported to owe more than Sh982 million in unpaid pension contributions, prompting outrage from retired employees.
As recently as 2023, contract staff and freelance journalists complained of going unpaid for several months with no formal response from the organization.
These patterns suggest a deeper financial and administrative challenge within KBC that continues to hurt its credibility as a public institution tasked with supporting national content and culture.
The latest wave of complaints has reignited calls for urgent intervention by oversight agencies, cultural institutions and the Ministry of Information to ensure that artists are compensated fairly and without delay.
There is growing concern that unless firm action is taken, KBC will continue operating at the expense of the very creatives who bring its programming to life.
