From 20-23 July 2015, FIM organised a bi-national union-training workshop in Kampala (Uganda).Backed by Sweden’s Union To Union, the workshop was coordinated with UMU and KEMU unions, Ugandan and Kenyan FIM members and was assisted by Beat Santschi (FIM’s Vice-President) whose Swiss union USDAM has a twinning agreement with UMU. It addressed issues such as union management and organisation, gender equality and related rights.
Since the previous workshop in 2010, UMU and KEMU have made significant improvements to their way of operating. UMU now has an operational website. KEMU, which has evolved towards a union structure, is still awaiting official recognition from authorities which they hope to obtain towards the end of 2015. Resources for both unions are still, however, quite insufficient, attributable in particular to the low level of membership fees collected.
Issues of related rights had a significant place on the UMU and KEMU agenda. In Uganda, performers –whose rights are currently managed by the UPRS collecting society– are thinking about creating a joint society with phonogram producers. In Kenya, despite requests from IFPI, the Kenyan Copyright Board (KECOBO) has recently confirmed its determination not to amend the 2012 Act which provides for equitable remuneration for communication to the public but also for making available on demand (see article of 21 May 2015).