Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio La Umoja political movement, has removed a video from his social media platforms that he shared, urging Kenyans to attend protests. The clip featured an image of a content creator, Gerald, also known as MC Bull, who was heard encouraging Kenyans to attend the demonstrations. The controversial video had Mr Odinga’s voice chanting for the need to “free the country” with the background score from the popular movie, Sarafina, ‘Freedom is Coming.’
Gerald expressed his displeasure with the use of his image and voice in the video in a letter to Mr Odinga. He requested that the video be removed, citing the emotional and financial toll that the back-and-forth correspondence had caused him. According to Gerald, the original ad was a call to vote and was not intended for any other purpose.
This is not the first time Mr Odinga has faced backlash for using copyrighted material without consent. Last year, the music group Sauti Sol threatened to sue Mr Odinga for featuring their hit song, ‘Extravaganza,’ during the announcement of his vice-presidential candidate. In a statement, the group said, “We did not license this song to the Azimio La Umoja campaign, neither did we give any consent for its use in the announcement of their Vice-Presidential candidate.”
Copyright infringement is a common issue in Kenya’s entertainment industry, where many artists and creatives face challenges with copyright protection. According to the Kenya Copyright Board, the country loses over KShs 20 billion (US$185 million) each year to copyright infringement. However, this issue is not limited to the entertainment industry but also extends to politics, where politicians use copyrighted material for their campaigns without obtaining proper licenses or consent.
