Mass media in Kenya

Prime MinisterRaila Odingaaddressing the Kenyan media during the2007–08 Kenyan crisis.

Mass media inKenyaincludes more than 91 FM stations, more than 64 free to view TV stations, and an unconfirmed number of print newspapers andmagazines.Publications mainly use English as their primary language of communication, with some media houses employingSwahili.Vernacular or community-based languages are commonly used in broadcast media; mostly radio.

Kenya's state-ownedKenya Broadcasting Corporationbroadcasts in both English and Swahili plus various vernacular languages.Royal Media servicesare the largest private national broadcaster with13 radio stationsand3 TV stationswith countrywide coverage. It also broadcasts in both English and Swahili plus various vernacular languages. A dozen private radio and television stations have ranges that are limited to theNairobiarea.

TheGovernment of Kenyastarted theKenya Institute of Mass Communicationto produce highly skilled personal in the communications and creative art industries. KIMC's training programs have seen significant growth and diversification. 1969 saw the introduction of radio and television production courses in addition to engineering studies. 1970 saw the introduction of print journalism training, and 1975 saw the introduction of cinema production courses. KIMC has developed into one of the most prestigious schools in Africa of its sort, accepting students from other African nations in addition to Kenya.

Legislation

The media in Kenya is regulated by a statutory body called theMedia Council of Kenya.TheMedia Council of Kenyais an independent national institution established by the Media Act, 2007 as the leading institution in the regulation of media and the conduct and discipline of journalists.It is mandated to register and accredit journalists, register media establishments, handle complaints from the public and create and publish yearly media audit on the Media Freedom in Kenya among other things.During accreditation the journalists agree to adhere to the Code of Conduct and Practice of Journalism in Kenya, which was created by media practitioners and stakeholders with the view of making Journalism in Kenya a more professional and respectable field. The media is also regulated by theKenya Film Classification Board,a State Corporation under the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) which is mandated by the Films and Stage Plays Act Cap 222 Laws of Kenya to regulate the creation, possession, broadcasting, exhibition, and distribution of films in Kenya.

Radio and Audio media

See also:List of radio stations in Africa § Kenya

KBC,Radio Citizen,Kiss FM(pop), Classic FM (classics), Capital FM (rock and pop), Easy FM (R&B), Metro FM (Reggae), Homeboyz Radio (Hip-hop and R&B) are the popular radio stations in Kenya in terms of listeners and coverage. Several established private radio stations broadcast in local vernacular languages, including Kameme FM, Gukena FM, Coro FM and Inooro FM (Kikuyu), Metro East FM (Hindi), Chamgei FM, Kass FM and Rehema Radio (Kalenjin), Lake Victoria (Luo), Mulembe FM (Luhya), Mbaitu FM (Kamba),Star FM(Somali).

However most radio are owned by few media companies. They includeKBC,Nation Media Group,Standard Media Group,Radio Africa Group,Royal Media ServiceandMediamax Network.

In addition to Radio, the largest mobile audio media platform in Kenya isSkiza Adsa service run bySafaricom PlcandAdtones ltd.The Skiza Ads Audio platform enables GDPR compliant targeted geolocated interactive advertising and audio messaging to millions of opted in, profiled mobile users using first party data of Safaricom, the largest telecom provider in Kenya.

Television

See also:List of television stations in Kenya

NTV,KTN,Citizen TV,TV47 KenyaandK24are the biggest TV stations inKenyain terms of coverage and viewers. Recently entertainment TV ventured in the Kenyan airspace with the inclusion ofKiss TV,a 24-hour Music TV Station, and Classic TV which airs African content in terms of movies, programs, and music. But recently they joined together.Inooro TVand Kameme TV are the biggest vernacular TV Station that broadcast their program in Kikuyu.Digital TVis also available in Kenya with the likes ofSmart TVandDStv.

More than 100 applications for radio and television licenses are pending before theCommunications Authority of Kenya,which is the independent regulatory authority for the communications industry in Kenya. Its role is to license and regulate telecommunications, radio-communication, and postal/courier services in Kenya. Kenya's print media are diverse, ranging from well-respected newspapers and magazines to an expansivetabloid press.

Newspapers

See also:List of newspapers in Kenya

There are two independent national daily newspapers, theDaily Nation,The Standard,and two daily free newspapers,X News,andThe People Daily.There are also two specialised daily papers,Business DailyandThe Star,and one weekly paper,The East African,which is published inNairobi,Dar es SalaamandKampala.

Under the Kibaki government, the media have demonstrated greater editorial independence than in previous years, and the number ofpress freedomabuses have declined. Still, some media policies and incidents continue to inhibitpress freedom,e.g., the need to post a costly bond before publication and to register afterward. In 2003 the government invoked a restrictive constitutional provision on-court coverage to intimidate journalists reporting on a possible political murder. In March 2006, hooded policemen raided the offices of The Standard newspaper and Kenya Television Network, claiming concerns about internal security.

Internet

See also:Internet in Kenya

All mainstream media houses have websites that they use to convey news and other information. The use of online magazines, blogs, and websites for Kenyan news is also on the rise.

Magazine

Kenya has several magazines most of which are published monthly and a few are bi-monthly. The magazines cover a range of topics such as business, lifestyle, politics, entertainment, media, and other societal issues. Some famous magazines areSwaraandThe African executive.

All newspapers published are usually accomplished with a magazine in every daily edition.

Other notable companies also publish magazines for their clients, do publicity and advertisement. Some of these companies areKenya Airways,Mada Hotelsand ICPAK.

All other listed companies in theNairobi Stock Exchangealso publish theirannual financial report.

See also

• Telecommunications in Kenya
• Telephone numbers in Kenya

Bibliography

• William A. Hachten (1965). "Press in a One-Party State: Kenya since Independence".Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.42.doi:10.1177/107769906504200211.
• George Githii (1971). "Press Freedom in Kenya". In Olav Stokke (ed.).Reporting Africa.Uppsala:Scandinavian Institute of African Studies.OCLC878108651.
• Dele Ogunade (1986)."Mass Media Systems of Kenya and Tanzania: a Comparative Analysis".Africa Media Review.1(1) – via Michigan State University Libraries,African e-Journals Project.
• A. Owiro-Okoth (1990)."Law and the Mass Media in Kenya".Africa Media Review.4(1) – via Michigan State University Libraries, African e-Journals Project.
• Polycarp J. Omolo Ochilo (1993)."Press Freedom and the Role of the Media in Kenya".Africa Media Review.7(3) – viaMichigan State University Libraries,African e-Journals Project.
• Philip G. Altbach;Edith S. Hoshino, eds. (1995). "Kenya".International Book Publishing: An Encyclopedia.Garland.ISBN9781134261260.
• "Kenya: Directory: Broadcasting and Communications".Africa South of the Sahara 2003.Regional Surveys of the World.Europa Publications.2003. p. 540.ISSN0065-3896.
• Jonathon Green;Nicholas J. Karolides (2005). "Kenya".Encyclopedia of Censorship.Facts on File, Inc.ISBN978-1-4381-1001-1.
• Winnie V. Mitullah (2012),Freedom of expression in Kenya: Exploring public use of old and new media(PDF),Afrobarometer– via Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich,Center for Security Studies
• Historical Dictionary of Kenya(3rd ed.).Rowman & Littlefield.2014.ISBN978-0-8108-7469-5.(Includes information about radio, periodicals, etc.)
• "Kenya",Freedom of the Press,USA:Freedom House,2016
• "Kenya",Digital News Report,UK:Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism,University of Oxford, 2020,OCLC854746354

External links

• Media Council of Kenya – Statutory Media Regulator
• Kenya Broadcasting Corporation – a government corporation
• List of Television in kenya
• Listen Kenya Radios Online
• Best loan apps in Kenya
• Media and Telecommunication Landscape in Kenya,ainfoasaidguide, November 2010, 80 pp.