Musicians in Meru County have claimed that the musicians taken advantage of by Juliana Mugure, acting CEO of the Meru County Ministry of Youth Gender Sports and Culture, were not the upcoming musicians she invited to her office, but the established artists she referred to in a letter as Meru-based artists.
Speaking to journalists, Juliana said that there was not a single established artist among the 52 that were hired who did not receive between Sh30,000 and Sh70,000.
“Among those who are complaining are some who assisted us with the work. We paid them on a daily basis,” Juliana said.
The CEC in charge of the Meru County Ministry of Youth Gender Sports and Culture, Koome Miriti said that there were musicians who intended to bring upcoming artists down.
“They don’t want to be overtaken because they believe they are ahead of other musicians and that no one can catch up to them. To assist upcoming artists in growing, we as the government need to be given time so that we can help all artists have an equal opportunity to avoid an artist being pulled by another who has been in the industry for a long time,” said Miriti.
According to Man Kinyua, an established musician in Meru County, Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s government officials have diverted attention away from the topic at hand.
“We have no concerns about whether or not the winners of the MYS Making Stars event in Igoji were compensated because we know they were. The county government, on the other hand, agreed to facilitate the recording of an album for free for the first, second, and third place winners,” Man Kinyua said.
“Acting CEO Juliana Mugure and CEC Koome Miriti claim that experienced musicians are jealous of the MYS upcoming musicians. However, they should remember that we never complained about an earlier Kaa sober event,” Man Kinyua said.
Man Kinyua said that Kiraitu should be aware that before President Uhuru brags about his accomplishments, he should exclude former President Mwai Kibaki’s projects.
He said despite claims that Kiraitu constructed boreholes in Meru County, he should not include projects initiated by Munya in order for his work to be accountable.
“Questioning public officials is not a crime because the offices belong to the people. I advise Kiraitu not to allow his chief of staff and other employees to campaign before the campaign period begins because they are not campaigning for him, but for themselves, and he may lose the election,” Man Kinyua said.
According to Man Kinyua, because Kiraitu claimed to have a keen sense of smell, he should smell his employees who have been implicated in the theft of money intended for musicians.
“They should step aside and allow investigations to take place. The officials were in charge of branding an event that was scheduled to take place in Kinoru stadium in Meru County and support all Meru-based artists,” Man Kinyua said.
He said the event was organized to benefit a single musician.
“Kiraitu should remember that President Uhuru attended the late John De Mathew and Kamaro’s burial. Musicians do not fight each other, but rather adore one another, and when you hear musicians fighting, something is wrong,” said Man Kinyua.
“Officials in the Ministry of Youth, Gender, and Sports have intertwined their personal and professional lives. I want to be honest with Kiraitu Murungi because it is better for him to be angry with me but know the truth about his employees and win the election after correcting mistakes than to praise him only for him to lose,” he said.
“They’ve kept money meant for musicians for themselves, and after they’ve satisfied themselves, they plan to use it with others to campaign for themselves rather than him. Kiraitu knows a number of Meru County musicians who are still alive and have been in the industry for a long time,” he said.
“He should begin by assisting established and experienced musicians, then move on to us, and finally to upcoming artists. The officials in the ministry of youth, gender, and sports invited upcoming musicians to their offices and lied to them that we are saying that they were not paid,” he said.
“Our complaints, however, were not about whether or not the musicians were paid, because we know they were. We demanded to know why the upcoming stars were promised an album but instead asked to write a proposal stating how much money they had so that it could be supplemented,” he said.
“When you inquire from the chief of staff, he lashes out at you; when you call him, he yells at you. That is not how we should collaborate, and it is not how the government operates. Kiraitu should be aware that his staff is stealing money meant for musicians,” he said.
“There are proposals that have been at the County Government Office for more than three years, but a specific proposal for a scheduled event that was about to take place in Kinoru stadium in Meru County was drafted overnight and approved. The proposal, according to the officials, was intended to help all musicians in Meru County,” he said.
According to Man Kinyua, proposals must first go through a committee that decides which one should be approved first.
Man Kinyua said that it appears that the proposals are intended to benefit the families of Meru county officials, implying that musicians are wasting their time drafting proposals.
