Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario's surprise at PRiSK launch

When Dr Hassan Gurach Wario Arero, the Cabinet Secretary for Sport, Culture and the Arts was invited to grace the big night at Villa Rose Kempinski on Monday evening, it was just another call of duty.

The fact that the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRiSK) was holding its first official corporate launch meant this was a significant duty in Wario’s docket, more so because he has been keen to see that the music and theatre industry gets up on its feet.

He was on time and so was Hassan Omar the Mombasa Senator who joined Angela Ndambuki and the entire PRiSK team of directors at the high table. Dozens of artistes, actors, musicians and other supporting acts walked in in style, dressed in evening wear and to the soothing sounds of music in the well decorated auditorium.

Here was Nonini, Papa Shirandula, SK Blue, Wyre, Robert Kimanzi, Idi Achieng, Daddy Owen and his fiancée, Ringtone, Dee the gospel rapper and Sadat Muhindi, the Maliza Umaskini philanthropist.

The Kenya Copyright Board Executive Director Marisela Ouma looked all gorgeous and so did the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) boss June Gachui and the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) CEO Maurice Okoth, together with his beautiful wife Shamillah. In a nutshell, the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry was under one roof.

It was a big night for Wyre, Sauti Sol and Robert Kimanzi who were feted as the biggest royalties earners in the last financial year and so too for a number of other industry players who were awarded special trophies of recognition for their contribution to the Kenyan music sector.

“I pledged my time and supportto help harmonise CMOs in Kenya and ensure all streams are fully licensed including the Safaricom Skiza tunes,” said Dr Wario to thunderous applause from the masses.

“I congratulate PRISK for being instrumental in the push and successful recognition of performer’s works in Kenya,” he added as he read the keynote speech.

“It has been a long walk for us to get here. However, it is all worthwhile,” Angela said before opening the floor for the awarding ceremony.

But that was not it. To crown it all, Dr Wario was called up to come and cut the cake to mark the five years PRiSK has been in existence. And while at it, little did he know that the same cake would turn out to be his birthday gift having being born on November 24, 1970.

PRISK was established in 2009 as a collective management organization (CMO) representing performers in musical and dramatic works.