If you grew up in Kenya during the 90’s (HI MILLENIALS!) you must have seen or heard of Bata’s ‘toughee’ shoes – the Maybach, the Rolls Royce, of school shoes. Having Bata shoes already meant you were elite, but having Bata Toughees? That was as good as rolling up to your Class 3 classroom with Cuban cigars. You were a deep state individual! I remember begging my parents to get me toughees when the term would be gearing up to start,  because listen, if you weren’t wearing toughees you just weren’t cool enough.  And the advertising that accompanied these…

If you are an artist, producer, composer, lyricist, distributor, or work in the music industry and have your music up on digital streaming platforms such as Mdundo, Spotify, Audiomack, or Youtube, you have probably encountered a copyright strike. These strikes can disrupt your career and revenue stream, leaving you asking: Why did this happen? How do I resolve it? What does it mean for my content? Mejja’s copyright claim for his song ‘Maisha Tiki’ on YouTube is a good example of the latest copyright strike by streaming platforms. This is not unheard of, as we have seen the same…

Boy hasn’t January gotten off to quite the start!  In just 75 days of January we’ve seen: Chris Brown sue Warner Bros for $500M for alleged defamation over a new docuseries that he feels portrays him as a serial rapist; Kelly Rowland stop Nelly from performing their hit song ‘Dilemma’ at Trump’s inauguration and Tanzania’s Music Board attempt to regulate the release of new music in Tanzania by Tanzanian artists.  Closer home, the President, joined by his Cabinet Secretaries, resolved to: Dissolve certain state corporations e.g. KFCB; Revert the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund to its related Ministry;…

The creative world thrives on collaboration, yet when partnerships sour, they often reveal the challenges of balancing artistry and business. Crystal Asige’s lawsuit against Sol Generation, alleging exploitation of her disability and mishandling of her intellectual property, highlights a deeper tension in the creative industry: how do artists and organizations navigate the blurred lines between inspiration, contribution, and compensation? This case raises significant questions about the rights of creatives and the structures that govern their work. Whether you’re a budding artist or a seasoned professional, it’s worth unpacking the key allegations and reflecting on what this means for the…