Thitima! Mugithi musician sues politician over campaign song

 George ‘Thitima’ Warutere and Gathee wa Njeri

Mugithi artiste Gathee wa Njeri has taken a politician to court Gathee wa Njeri  accused George ‘Thitima’ Warutere of copyright infringement He claimed Warutere cheated him out of a handsome pay by re-recording his song

A musician has taken a politician to court over campaign music he used in the run up to the August elections.

Mugithi artiste Gathee wa Njeri accused George ‘Thitima’ Warutere, who lost the Mathira Parliamentary seat, of breaching copyright law by remixing and using his song Wamunyota in his campaigns.

The seat was won by Rigathi Gachagua of Jubilee Party who garnered 52,757 votes, while the accused came fourth with 1,161 votes on a Narc-Kenya ticket.

Thitima was charged before Karatina Principal Magistrate Elvis Michieka and if found guilty, he could be sentenced to jail or fined Sh400,000.

Thitima is accused of commissioning the re-recording of the vernacular song Wamunyota and using it in his campaigns without Gathee’s consent.

In his statement, Gathee claims that Warutere cheated him out of a handsome pay by re-recording his song.

He claims he released the song three years ago at the height of the campaign to tackle second-generation alcohol addiction in the Mt Kenya region.

The song cautions and ridicules Central Kenya men for concentrating on alcohol and illicit brews which have led them to neglect their matrimonial beds.

Thitima denied copyright infringement charges and was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000.