Media assets

Television: KBC Channel 1, Heritage TV, Y254

Radio: KBC Radio Taifa, KBC English Service; Commercially run: Coro FM, Pwani, Nosim, Minto, Kitwek, Mayienga, Mwatu, Mwago, Ingo, Iftiin

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

KBC was established under the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Act (CAP 221) and is wholly owned by the Government of Kenya. The President appoints the chairperson of the Board, while other board members are appointed by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for information, communications, and the digital economy.

In a high-profile leadership shake-up, Agnes Kalekye was appointed CEO in May 2024. Kalekye, a veteran media executive and former COO at The Star Publications, also previously served as Chair of the Media Owners Association. Her appointment followed the dismissal of Samuel Maina, who was ousted in December 2023 after authorizing a controversial US$5 billion (KES 65 billion) compensation to the UK-based Channel 2 Group without prior government approval. The payout, stemming from a longstanding arbitration case at the London Court of International Arbitration, triggered a major political and public backlash.

In May 2025, the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy confirmed a comprehensive restructuring plan for KBC (alongside the Postal Corporation of Kenya). During a Senate ICT Committee hearing, Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau outlined a strategic roadmap aimed at institutional reform, including budgetary realignment, legislative updates, and the rollout of digital infrastructure initiatives such as public Wi-Fi hotspots and fibre-optic expansion

Source of funding and budget

KBC’s funding model is hybrid, comprising limited government subsidies and commercial revenue, mainly from advertising. While public funding is officially intended to be supplementary, persistent financial distress has left KBC heavily dependent on the exchequer. By 2019, the broadcaster had accumulated debts exceeding KES 71 billion (approx. US$ 644 million), mainly attributed to a long-term infrastructure loan from a Japanese creditor. Despite efforts to manage this debt, it ballooned to KES 90.7 billion by mid-2024, prompting Kenya’s National Assembly to formally request the National Treasury to consider canceling the obligation altogether.

In addition, KBC remains entangled in a costly legal dispute dating back to 2009 over the collapse of a joint venture with Amjam TV, owned by a Dubai-based businessman. The case, ongoing in UK courts, could cost the broadcaster as much as KES 40 billion.

The broadcaster’s annual budget has historically hovered around KES 1.2 billion (approx. US$ 10.8 million), but in 2024, government allocations rose to KES 2.19 billion (US$ 15.1 million), according to official fiscal documents. According to the Openbudget.ke portal, KBC was allocated KES 2.285 billion (approx. US $15 million) in the FY 2025/26 recurrent budget.

Editorial independence

Despite a statutory mandate to operate as an “independent and impartial” public broadcaster, KBC has long been plagued by political interference. Editorial decisions are often aligned with government narratives, and managerial changes are frequently driven by political pressure rather than professional performance. Several former directors were dismissed for failing to toe the line of the ruling administration, reinforcing a culture of self-censorship within the newsroom.

No domestic statute explicitly guarantees KBC’s editorial autonomy, nor is there any external or independent oversight mechanism in place to assess its compliance with principles of journalistic integrity. As a result, the broadcaster continues to function more as a government mouthpiece than as an independent public service media outlet, a status increasingly questioned by media observers and civil society actors.

June 2025

Media assets

News agency: Kenya News Agency (KNA)

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

KNA operates as a state-run entity under the Department of Information, within the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy. The agency’s leadership is appointed by the Ministry and typically drawn from long-serving civil servants with a background in government communications. Its bureaucratic structure mirrors that of a traditional public service department, with editorial direction heavily shaped by political hierarchies.

In October 2023, Joseph Kipkoech was appointed as the new Director of Information—a move initially hailed as a potential turning point for KNA. Kipkoech publicly pledged to modernize the agency, aspiring to bring it on par with global newswires in both infrastructure and editorial practices. However, as of mid-2025, these ambitions have yet to materialize into substantive reform. Journalists interviewed in March 2024 and May 2025 confirmed that KNA continues to lack editorial autonomy, with its operations firmly tethered to government narratives.

Source of funding and budget

KNA is entirely funded by the exchequer, receiving its annual budget allocation through Parliamentary appropriation. The agency does not generate independent revenue and is not commercially operated. While no official figures are publicly disclosed, interviews with media experts and government insiders suggest that KNA’s funding is bundled under broader allocations to the Ministry of Information.

In 2025, amidst tighter national budgets and public spending reforms, there has been growing scrutiny over state-funded media. KNA has not been earmarked for significant increases in funding and receives no development financing, raising questions about the viability of its promised modernization drive.

Editorial independence

Despite its public mandate, KNA operates at the beck and call of the state, prioritizing the dissemination of official statements and promoting government-led initiatives. While its mission is ostensibly to inform the public, in practice, the agency acts as an amplifier of government messaging, frequently framing state actions in a positive light and avoiding coverage of dissenting voices.

Although KNA’s founding legislation alludes to the importance of balanced reporting, no statute explicitly guarantees editorial independence, and no independent oversight body exists to monitor its journalistic standards. The absence of such safeguards has entrenched systemic self-censorship and contributed to the agency’s perception as a government echo chamber rather than a robust public information service.

June 2025