The Music Copyright Society Kenya (MCSK) CEO Ezekiel Mutua has apologised to Makau Mutua, hours after calling him a fake professor on social media.
In a post on X, Ezekiel termed Makau a fake professor after the latter criticised MCSK for promising to disburse Ksh20 million as royalties to 16,000 artistes, which translates to an average of Ksh1,250.
"I am seeing some dimwits including a fake professor who lives in America and runs an eatery in Kitui misleading people that MCSK declared royalty distribution of Ksh20M will be shared equally among our 16000 members, hence every member will get Ksh1,250. I am sure that the fake Professor has a payroll for his eatery in Kitui and his workers don't earn the same amounts. We issued a statement to the media and indicated the criteria used for distribution in line with our rules. But malicious and lazy brains would rather propagate a lie than the facts. We live in a sick society!" Ezekiel stated.
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In a rejoinder, Makau termed the insults as juvenile, which should never be uttered by a man of Ezekiel's calibre.
"My namesake Ezekiel Mutua — no relation — I see that you’ve received and internalized my message. A good start. Juvenile insults, however, ought to be beneath a gentleman and an erudite man like you. I taught you better," Makau said.
Ezekiel Mutua's apology
However, hours later, Ezekiel stated on X (formerly Twitter) that he had spoken to Makau and apologised. By the time of going to press, Ezekiel had not deleted his social media post with insults against Makau.
In his apology, Ezekiel admitted that Makau taught him and even helped him secure a lucrative job.
"I have spoken to my senior Prof. Makau Mutua and apologised profusely and unreservedly for my earlier post that did not sit well with him. Professor (Makau Mutua) taught me and also gave me a lucrative job some years back. When I served in the UN Secretary General's Committee on Information between 2007 and 2010, I would wander through the streets of the University of New York at Buffalo and his name alone would open doors. He's a great guy, but sometimes he falters and veers into unnecessary controversy even on mundane things like royalty distribution. I just don't know what happens. But that doesn't mean he's fake. He's one of Kenya's finest. To the extent that my post was offensive, I sincerely apologise," Ezekiel stated.
Makau Mutua is a Kenyan-American professor at the SUNY Buffalo School of Law and was its dean from 2008 to 2014.
He teaches international human rights, international business transactions and international law.
