According to reports currently trending on X, former MCSK CEO Ezekiel Mutua has found himself at the center of a messy leadership battle after his dismissal from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya.
Even though the board officially fired him on April 3, 2025, Mutua has refused to accept the decision and is reportedly using his access to MCSK’s social media accounts to push back. Many online users are accusing him of trying to hold the organization hostage through manipulation and blackmail.
What’s unfolding is not just a power struggle, but a deeper exposure of how Mutua allegedly used the organization for personal branding while doing very little for the artists he was supposed to protect. For years, creatives have complained of poor treatment under MCSK leadership.
Many local musicians have continuously raised concerns about low royalties, lack of transparency, and poor structures in royalty distribution. Even during Mutua’s term, these complaints never really went away.
In fact, some artists believe things got worse. While musicians across the country struggled to get even a few thousand shillings in annual royalties, Mutua was always seen attending high-profile events, giving speeches, and posting photos of meetings with powerful individuals.
To many, he turned MCSK into a publicity machine for his own image.Now that he’s out, or at least supposed to be out, Mutua has refused to go quietly.
Instead, he’s using his remaining grip on communication platforms like social media to cast doubt on the board’s decision and confuse the public.
Kenyans on X are calling out the irony in Mutua’s leadership style preaching discipline, order, and morality in public while allegedly mismanaging an institution behind the scenes.
According to several voices on the platform, leadership should uplift and empower, not be used as a ladder for self-promotion while others suffer below.
The drama took another twist when MCSK Chairman Ephantus W. Kamau contradicted the board’s announcement and insisted that Mutua was still the CEO.
He even dismissed the termination notice as fake and blamed it on a former board member facing legal issues. This contradiction has left MCSK members confused and the public wondering who is telling the truth. What’s clear though is that the situation at MCSK is chaotic, and Mutua’s refusal to hand over his access shows signs of desperation.
Instead of exiting gracefully, Mutua seems to be clinging to power by all means necessary. This kind of behavior shows exactly why change was needed. A CEO who truly cared about artists would have prioritized a smooth transition to ensure stability for the society’s members.
But in this case, it seems the position was more about power and personal control than service. Many creatives feel that Mutua failed to fight for their rights or to modernize the way royalties are tracked and paid. The millions collected every year from licenses and airplay rarely seemed to trickle down in a meaningful way to the real content creators.If there was ever a moment for a total audit of MCSK, it is now.
The power struggles, secrecy, and lack of transparency must end. Ezekiel Mutua may have gained popularity through catchy public statements, but leadership is not about being loud it’s about results.
And if those results are missing, then no amount of social media spin should save anyone from accountability. The cries of struggling artists speak louder than any post or press conference. The truth is that creatives need real representation, not influencers hiding behind titles.
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