Radio 47: Newcomer Aiming To Challenge Kenya's Biggest Radio Stations

Amidst a changing atmosphere in the media space in the wake of the Generation Z era, a new radio station is, by the time of publishing this story, six days away from launching in Kenya, with one eye on the national audience.

Reports went rife in September 2022 regarding the imminent birth of Radio 47, a subsidiary of the Cape Media company and whose sister is TV47.

The management, led by Mount Kenya University (MKU) chairman and founder, Prof Simon Gicharu, is understood to be putting the final touches ahead of its launch.

Some of Radio 47's frequencies ahead of its launch. /TWITTER.FLORA LIMUKII

Viral Tea has been made to understand that the station will broadcast most of its content in Kiswahili, currently the biggest niche in the country's radio atmosphere. It will also blend with other interactive content in its efforts to attract its niche audience in Kenya.

It already has frequencies in place that include Eldoret (100.9 FM), Nairobi (103.0 FM), Mombasa (92.9 FM), Garissa (89.5 FM), Webuye (104.3 FM) and Kisumu (101.2 FM), among 31 frequencies that also compliment its state of the art studio which will be based alongside the TV station at Ojijo Road in Parklands, Nairobi.

Contrary to most radio stations which only allow its listeners to enjoy the voice of their favourite presenters, Radio 47 boasts of being the first audio-visual Swahili Radio station in Kenya and following in the footsteps of NRG Radio.

This is a next-generation technology which will allow its fans to see what is going on inside their studio throughout its 24/7 online live streaming, a feature aimed at bringing fans closer to their favourite presenters as internet penetration across the country continues to grow.

There is a catch, however. By the time Radio 47 launches, it will have joined the likes of market leader Radio Citizen, Milele FM and Radio Taifa (KBC), Radio Maisha among other Swahili radio stations in a less saturated space compared to the English versions already ruled by Classic 105, KBC English Service, Capital FM, Kiss FM, Hot 96, Homeboyz Radio, Nation FM, East FM, BBC, Spice FM and Vybez Radio, among others, all boasting national coverage.

Vernacular radio stations broadcasting in various languages are also popular picks amongst Kenyan radio listeners, leaving Radio 47 with serious competition to get to the top. However, the newcomer has been employing a strategy to counter their competitors who have built their brands for years.

For the past few weeks, the new radio station has been poaching talent from rival media houses, with the biggest casualty being Radio Maisha, under the Standard Media Group (SMG), which has been for long battling financial woes and losing talent in form of journalists. Since announcing its plans to trim its payroll, SMG has been turned into a poaching ground for its competition.

Despite the management seeming unfazed about the mass exodus which has also hit KTN and The Standard Newspaper, news of Radio 47's entry into the market came at the wrong time for Radio Maisha. Some of the names the newcomer has already poached include Ali Kauleni Hassan aka Hassan Mwana wa Ali, a celebrated Swahili sports commentator who will be a Sports Editor at the station. 

Former Programmes Controller at Standard Group Lynda Oriaso, who is a radio personality with over 15 years of experience in broadcast journalism, was also poached alongside Geoffrey Mung’ou a celebrated newsreader, editor and producer and Beatrice Maganga, who spent over a decade at SMG.

“I will also play the role of a presenter, commentator and Swahili edition education show host on Saturdays, morning hours,” Kauleni was previously quoted as saying.

Others who left Radio Maisha in January 2023 and could be joining Radio 47 are producers Irene Kaimuri and Eric Wambugu.

Radio 47 has also gone for Milele FM of Mediamax Network, owned by former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family, where it has taken away Evah Mwalili, who is popularly known as Mama Taifa. The gospel radio host is a celebrated journalist, having won three major awards.