High notes Uhuru hit artistes will always remember him for

Members of the Sauti Sol entertain during the 51st Jamuhuri day Celebration at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.

President Uhuru has arguably been a favourite among artistes thanks to his efforts in reforming the entertainment industry during his tenure. But, forget his charming nature - inviting artistes and dancers to the State House, or dancing to tunes with every chance he got - Uhuru has been hailed for ensuring artistes enjoy better royalties after years of receiving peanuts.

In April this year, Uhuru signed the 2021 Copyright Amendment Bill, promising higher revenues for artistes. The Bill, which was published by the National Assembly on October 6, 2021, and passed by Parliament in February, provides artistes with a more significant share of the revenue from their ringback tones.

The new law, part of the government's efforts to safeguard the interests of musicians, dictated that artistes would get 52 per cent of the revenue collected on ringback tunes, while the remaining 43 per cent shared between telecommunication operators and premium rate service providers.