Kidero allocates millions for City Hall FM radio station

By NJOROGE KIARIE

Another strategy of eating public money! Does it mean of all the radio stations in kenya none of them can be used as platform to address or raise the said issues? It's your turn to eat comes in all formsts ! - Madhariaz Gitonga

Sunday, May 4  2014 

IN SUMMARY

• The project that has been in the pipeline since last year was allocated Sh50 million in the budget estimates for the next financial year.

City Hall will in the next financial year set up a radio station as it aims to increase citizen participation in county affairs and cut the cost of advertising in commercial channels.

The project that has been in the pipeline since last year was allocated Sh50 million in the budget estimates for the next financial year.

Finance executive Gregory Mwakanongo said that the project requires about Sh100 million, adding that the remaining half will be provided at a later stage.

“The radio station will serve as a platform to communicate our policies and development agenda,” said Mr Mwakanongo.

“We are moving to secure licence with the Communications Authority of Kenya for radio frequency spectrum.”

The FM station to be set up at City Hall will be a community radio funded from the budget and advertising revenue.

Information, Communication and E-government executive Mohammed Abdullahi said the county is developing content but declined to divulge when the station would go on air. “We have to develop the content and specifications first then we will go to tendering,” he said.

The station will be fully owned by the county government. Mr Abdullahi says the set-up of the station has been prompted by reduced air play on county issues by the State broadcaster, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

This will also give the County Assembly a platform to broadcast is proceedings similar to what KBC does for Parliament. Bomet County has also announced plans to set up a radio station.

The community radio station is expected to ease City Hall’s burden of mobilising residents for crucial meetings where public consultation is required by the law.

Last week, the county was criticised for poorly publicising a forum for interrogating next year’s budget estimates. Less than 100 people turned up for the Monday meeting.

A lack of citizen participation in law formulation was the main reason some lobby groups moved to court to contest the County Finance Act 2013.

Kiambu, had its Finance Act invalidated by the court for lack of public input, a development that has left it with no legitimate claim to collect taxes and fees.

Official data shows that the number of FM radio frequencies rose to 529 last year from 387 in 2012 controlled by 103 radio stations as at September, according to Communications Authority of Kenya.

Radio has continued to be more popular than television with regard to listenership and viewership, especially in rural areas.