Govt Turns To India In Plan To Upgrade KBC
With such upgrades, according to the CS, this would strengthen the overall muscle of the media house
Marvin Chege 
Information, Communications, and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has revealed the government's latest ambition to upgrade the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) to modern standards, sharing this with the government of India.
Kabogo, on Friday, March 7, at the Ministry of ICT headquarters, held productive discussions with a delegation from the Indian government, led by India’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa.
During the meeting, the CS revealed that the productive discussions saw him share his plans of turning the state-owned broadcaster into a powerful media house with modern, state-of-the-art facilities to revive its competitive stance against the privately owned media houses in Kenya.
With such upgrades, according to the CS, this would strengthen the overall muscle of the media house at a time when mainstream media dominance in Kenya has been sustained by the likes of Royal Media Services (RMS), Nation Media Group (NMG), and Standard Group Limited, among others.
KBC's TV studio in Nairobi County. /KBC
"Our talks focused on enhancing collaboration in culture, technology, and innovation, with a special emphasis on the entertainment and film industry.
"India, home to the globally renowned Bollywood, has a wealth of expertise in film production, and we explored ways in which Kenya can tap into this experience. I also shared our vision of modernizing KBC into a competitive, well-equipped national broadcaster," he stated in part.
The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is a government-owned media organization, broadcasting in English, Swahili, and various local Kenyan languages.
Originally established as a radio service in 1928 during Kenya’s time as a British colony, KBC holds the distinction of being the country’s first radio station.
On March 8, 2024, the government instructed all government agencies, independent commissions and public universities to air their TV and radio adverts through the state-owned broadcaster.
Principal Secretary of the State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Prof. Edward Kisiang'ani highlighted that the directive was part of targeted reforms at turning around the financial fortunes of the national broadcaster.
"In light of the foregoing, all public sector electronic (radio and television) advertisements from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that fall under the National Government, Independent Commissions and Public Universities shall be handled by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) upon authorization by the Government Advertising Agency (GM)," Kisiang'ani said in a circular to all Ministries.
The PS further noted that the move would likewise ensure that the State pays for advertising services immediately, without incurring more debts owed to media houses.
The move was, however, widely opposed by other media houses, warning that it would deny young independent media houses of crucial finances to sustain their day-to-day operations, forcing them to drastic measures including closures, job losses and reduction in the media landscape.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, Kabogo stated that Kenya is committed to strengthening its partnership with India, particularly in the entertainment and film industries, to enhance the country's film production capabilities.
"Excitingly, India’s leading filmmaker, SS Rajamouli, is set to shoot his next film in Kenya, a major boost for our local film industry! Additionally, I received a formal invitation to attend the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai this May, a global gathering of media CEOs, entertainment icons, and creative minds," he added.
"Kenya and India have long enjoyed strong diplomatic and economic ties, and we remain committed to deepening this relationship. The Ministry is actively implementing programs under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on December 5, 2023, between our governments. This agreement aims to enhance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and foster cooperation in digital transformation initiatives."
