Singer-cum-actress Sanaipei Tande has called out Sports and the Arts Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and Kalasha Awards over unpaid award money.
This comes after winners of the 12th edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards are still waiting to receive the Sh200,000 prize money they were promised, exactly a year after the awards ceremony took place.
The Kalasha Awards event was held on December 3, 2022, awarding a trophy and Sh200,000 to the winners of each of the 39 categories.
Calling out the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) in the same breath, the Mfalme wa Mapenzi singer questioned the parties involved for “No prize money and no communication” for a year gone by.
“….but Sh167m set aside for #KNT renovations in bids to develop and nurture NEW talent! What of the existing talent?” she asked on her socials.
This has left many artists frustrated and wondering why their well-deserved accolades have yet to be financially acknowledged.
Fatou Hassan, the Best Costume Design category winner, has also expressed her disappointment, saying, “I have not received the Sh200,000 they promised. They sent us an email requesting our bank details, but I have never seen the money.”
Initially, the winners expected at least Sh100,000 each, based on the prize money awarded during the 11th edition of the Kalasha Awards.
However, the amount was doubled by the CS who attended the awards ceremony.
“We have doubled cash rewards for winners in all 39 categories this year as the first step in ensuring pesa mfukoni for artistes,” Namwamba declared during the awards ceremony.
The KFC introduced the awarding scheme in 2019 during the 9th edition of the Kalasha Awards, with a total of Sh1.7 million allocated as prize money.
During that edition, each winner received Sh50,000. The prize money was doubled in the following edition, resulting in a total distribution of Sh3 million.
The delay in awarding the promised prize money raises concerns and calls into question the commitment to supporting and recognising the contributions of talented artists in the Kenyan film and television industry.
The organisers and the CS are yet to respond on when the winners will receive their prize money.
