Kanumba, King Majuto earn Sh45m after contract reviews

Dodoma. Administrators of the estates of late artistes, Steven Kanumba and King Majuto, have been paid Sh45 million after a committee formed by the government revisited contracts of Bongo film stakeholders.

Information, Culture, Arts and Sports minister Harrison Mwakyembe said this yesterday when presenting estimates in Parliament on his ministry’s income and expenditure for the 2019/2020 Financial Year.

The minister said following the ministry’s announcement about revisiting contracts, which were deemed as shoddy, entered by some artistes, the committee revisited 11 of the documents.

“Some firms have confirmed about paying satisfactory amounts of cash to the relevant artistes while the others have signed special agreements with the committee on raising the royalties,” said Dr Mwakyembe.

He cited an example of Pan Africa Enterprises Ltd and Ivory Iringa Ltd, saying both firms had stashed Sh30 million into a special account following the contracts the firms entered into with the late artiste Amri Athuman (King Majuto) for his works.

“Azam-SSB firm has prepared extra payment of Sh20 million and Tanform Ltd of Arusha Sh15 million, which will be presented to the administrator of King Majuto’s estate,” he said.

Dr Mwakyembe also said that some firms including Neelkanth Salt Ltd had put in place a satisfied procedure of straight communication with the family of King Majuto.

He added that Steps Entertainment Ltd had presented extra payment of Sh15 million to the mother of the late Steven Kanumba and that the firm had promised to cooperate with her to prepare a movie about the life of her late son.

He said the firm had also paid Sh6.7 million to artiste Sikujuwa Mbwewe for distributing her film known by the name of ‘Utu Wangu’ without her consent and that the film has since been withdrawn.