KBC needs to be transformed into a robust public broadcaster

Kenya needs a reliable and objective public broadcaster to cater for the interests of the public. Much has been said about our institutions of governance like the judiciary, the police and so on. However, we tend to forget that the media or “the fourth” estate is an arm of government. 

So we ask, has anything been done to transform or support the role of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation as an important institution in the democratic governance of the republic of Kenya?

KBC has a rich history, having been started in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. This means that it was modeled under the British Broadcasting Corporation. Can anyone argue that any efforts that have been made since this broadcaster was founded was done in good faith and with the vision of driving KBC to the next level, perhaps closer to the rank of BBC?

The latter is a respectable global broadcaster with many observers testifying to its professionalism and objectivity, even though it sometimes looks at Africa with Western fashioned lenses when reporting events on the continent –  reporting is sensationalized and does nothing to help the situation on the ground. 

KBC’s name was changed to Voice of Kenya in 1964 when Kenya became an independent country and in 1989, the corporation’s name was reverted by the Kenyan government from VOK to KBC. In all those years, what has KBC done in terms of public broadcasting that Kenyans can celebrate?

KBC has done nothing, whatsoever, that would convince any keen observer that it has been working hard to represents the interest of the public, not even in the last concluded elections and petitions. It has refused to invest in technology for excellent national and international coverage and it, often, has a crop of demotivated journalists which brings to the foe questions of remunerations, media ownership and funding.

Who really owns KBC and how is it funded?  The question of who owns the broadcaster is clear since we all know it is a state broadcaster. However, it is mandated to serve the interests of the public within the boundaries of the laws enshrined in the constitution.This technically means that KBC is a servant of the state and the public. If this is true, it means that the broadcaster is funded using public funds (tax) and, therefore, Wanjiku can demand accountability and even sue the broadcaster for failing to meet public expectations.

 

For KBC to be seriously transformed, it needs to invest in modern technology and efforts geared towards transforming it from analogue to digital broadcasting. The management needs to be overhauled and if need be, those appointed be publicly vetted and sworn in under oath to enable the institution have a clear vision that would attract talented young journalists for sustainability.

Currently, young journalists employed by the broadcaster simply use it as a career launching pad to and training ground before moving to bigger mainstream private media. This leaves the KBC with no room to develop.

There are few countries in Africa that can boast of a solid broadcasting foundation such as the ones left in Kenya and South Africa by the British. In South Africa, even though South Africa Broadcasting Corporation has its fair share of leadership challenges and internal wrangles between board members and the Africa National Congress leadership, it has performed excellently and, currently, broadcasts across the continent through SABC Africa – Kenya can borrow a leaf.

KBC needs to be transformed into a robust public broadcaster due to the dangerous trends in Kenya where there is media plurality, in terms of the mushrooming of private media, but not necessarily media diversity. The dangers of too much private media dominance have to be pointed out since private media has a tendency to be influenced by political and economic interests depending on who owns them and their proximity to the status quo.

Justice should stand for all Kenyans

In the just concluded elections, interesting trends have been identified. Out of many, the most important one being that a breath of life is being given to the rule of law and justice. If there was ever a time when one would argue that Kenyans are the winners in the just concluded general elections, then that time is now.

Just as Kenyans did by maintaining peace during the elections, now is the time for every Kenyan to peacefully support our judicial institutions in their quest for justice in our beloved country. This should be done in a fair and objective manner without fear, favor or prejudice. This will go a long way in guaranteeing the future liberty and prosperity for every Kenyan irrespective of race, color, religion or ethnic background – Justice should stand for all Kenyans.

It is quite humbling to see politicians from both the Jubilee and Cord coalition filing petitions in our courts since this implies that they have faith in these judicial institutions and are convinced that a fair judgment will be realized. It is also a reminder that poll petitions are part of the entire electoral process guaranteed by our Constitution.

There is no reason for Kenyans to panic since, in the words of the Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga, the Supreme Court is a court for all Kenyans and it must handle the presidential election petition and any other petition fairly, justly and within the timeline as outlined by the Constitution.

Kenya almost went to the dogs in 2007-2008 because of the lack of proper institutions of governance that would guarantee a free and fair elections and absence of dispute resolution mechanisms. Our Judiciary then, was simply an extension of the, then, executive unlike the current one that consists of competent members that have been publicly vetted. 

It is the current judicial system that has given hope to Kenyans and those who are now questioning their loss in the just concluded elections. This is their constitutional right.

It is important to add that a successful conclusion of the petitions arising out of the just concluded elections in the high court or the Supreme Court, will go a long way in institutionalizing the rule of law and justice. This will work to benefit the ordinary Mwanainchi since disputes in our society are not only confined to elections.  

Regarding the latter though, the burden of prove lies with the complainant  who has to present convincing evidence that will prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that the elections  was marred by irregularities in most polling stations that gave his or her opponent(s) an unfair advantage  and therefore contributed to his/her loss.

Why we should not celebrate opinion polls

Despite the fact that opinion polls are good for indicating who the likely winners or losers in elections are, they should not be celebrated especially in Kenya. Why do I say so?

Opinion polls are based on estimates of how many people would vote for a particular political candidate and sometimes the reasons why they would prefer one candidate than the other.

Although opinion polls have done well when it comes to measuring the popularity of presidential aspirants, they have failed dismally on measuring preference of aspirants based on policies. This reality means the Kenyan voter favors personality politics over issue based politics.

Don’t be deceived, opinion polls conducted in Kenya by Infotrak, Synovate and others are based on popular views on political personalities rather than what those personalities stand for.

In cases where the ‘preferred person’ has brilliant ideas in his/her manifesto on how to uplift the welfare of ordinary Kenyans, such ideas are bound not to influence voter decisions on elections when asked by opinion poll researchers.

It is simple, the average, most of them are, Kenyan voter will use political personality as the benchmark regarding answers to questions of whether or not he/she would vote for such a person which necessarily leads to voting based on tribal arithmetic.

While there is nothing wrong with Kenyan tribes, since they are part of our cultural historicity, it is sad to see how voters have been held hostage by radical political tribalism. This is why the only place where the presidential aspirants’ supporters are ‘jubilated’ of ‘corded’ happen to be their tribal safe-havens.

Yes, aspirants can run to alters of the latter but they cannot hide. This is perhaps the last elections where presidents will enjoy majority support from their tribal constituents considering that they have only done so now because of the many worrying issues like land, IDP’s etc.

It seems inevitable that the only persons that would be trusted with the kind of leadership that will address the thorny land question would be a tribal kinsman akin to Luanda Magere in Luo mythology. The question is: what will these aspirants dangle in the future when the land question has been resolved and all IDP’s resettled?

But I am digressing, the reasons why we should not celebrate opinion polls is because the Kenyan voter is gullible, unsure of what he/she is voting for, thanks to poor civic education, probably in the village, and worried about where the next meal will come from.

Food seems to be a man-made crisis during elections – it was in 2007. That is why Eugene Wamalwa recently claimed in one of the rallies in Western that strangers are roaming the village buying voter ID’s for 1000 shillings. There were also alleged cases of vote buying in Kisii two days before elections.  Should we trust opinions of such voters?

If Synovate, Infotrack et al do a random sampling of eligible voters nationally (rural and urban), and conduct a telephone survey, then what are the chances that they could be speaking to such gullible or Kigeugeu voters?

Democracy is coming to Kenya: It does not really matter who is next president

Trends are pointing out that this year’s election will be peaceful judging from how Kenyans and the IEBC have handled disputed nomination so far. But let us celebrate this new trend with caution as we jointly work towards making this year’s election peaceful. 

The entire electoral process is a nail-biting experience for everyone. It comes with a lot of euphoria and a lot of anticipation. It pushes citizens, tourists, refugees and investors to the cliff-edge.

Well, I have good news. Never had I been more optimistic than this time round, keenly watching what is happening in Kenya from the diaspora, that the March election will be something to smile about.

Election in Kenya will soon be history just like it has been in countries such as Ghana, Senegal, Lesotho, Egypt, Burkina Faso, and Angola. The interesting thing about these African countries is that they have all conducted peaceful elections. 

Is there likelihood that history is treating African countries kindly regarding elections? Is Kenya likely to benefit from this wind of change blowing across Africa from the four corners of the continent?

It is a well-established fact that the journey to Kenya’s democratic transformation has involved blood, sweat and tears. All the sacrifice Kenyans have made should not go to waste. Like a wounded lion, it’s time for the country to win the battle – which I am convinced it will – due to her warrior-like strategies

One important strategy Kenya has used, in her quest for nationhood, is that of imbibing the character of our fore-fathers who believed that Kenyans work best when they are free, a conviction that led to the birth of the new constitution – the second liberation.

The constitution has guaranteed all Kenyan citizens, tourists, refugees and investors unalienable rights, justice and fair play. But there is a third liberation awaiting – economic liberation. The time is perfect for Kenyans to wake up, smell the coffee and take advantage of the impressive economic recovery today compared to where the country was after the last disputed election.

Improved infrastructure, transport and communication in the country means a favorable environment has been created for entrepreneurship. Decentralization of resources and power gives room for development at the grassroots level and above all, a functional judiciary means disputes, including electoral disputes, can be confidently settled in courts in a civilized manner.

Democracy is coming to Kenya and it does not really matter who is next president. Since there is a new constitution, all that is needed now is a president who will safeguard it and be a champion of the third liberation by forging sober trading partnerships with other African countries to fast track Kenya towards achieving vision 2030.

Kenyans have reasons to be optimistic, the economic growth is projected at an average of 4.7 percent this year, interest rates have been lowered by the Central Bank, there is a surge in agricultural output, oil and other minerals are being exploited, Konza techno-city has just been unveiled, the local soccer premier league is increasing its popularity in Africa, tourists are still visiting despite Alshabaab threats and Mau-Mau fighters are almost being compensated. This is a true African renaissance that should not be obliterated by the March elections.

Why announcing winner of March election is a twin burden

There is no doubt that the upcoming March 2013 elections will be a watershed in the history of Kenya’s political-economy. This is why the media ought to prepare thoroughly for accurate and objective coverage.

It is well known that elections are good news for the media anywhere in the world by virtue of the many competing interests that the media is simply spoilt for choices regarding what to report. However, history has revealed that reporting elections in Africa should be done with caution to avoid electoral chaos.

I need not remind you of what happened in 2007 shortly after the national media televised Samuel Kivuitu announcing results of a disputed poll under pressure. This should not be the case in March this year. Amidst the election euphoria, hyped by the local and international media, there are possibilities of meddling with the message. 

Should the media be responsible for announcing unofficial election results in different polling stations in real time? My conviction is that the burden of announcing electoral results should rest with the Interim Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC). However, the media shoulders some of it since it ought to broadcast preliminary results from different polling stations in the spirit of electoral transparency – It is a twin burden.

In established democracies like the USA, the media has been accurately projecting winners and losers through unofficial results that stream live in newsrooms from various national polling stations, therefore, giving the process credibility. 

Projection is possible in the USA because the media invests highly in technology. Besides that, there is minimum ideological polarization among competing political parties and above all, journalists are institutionalized to recognize the importance of national elections. They are guided by the spirit of patriotism that ensures they maintain high levels of professionalism when reporting electoral issues.

The Kenyan scenario is different mainly due to multiple ‘ideological’ polarizations among political parties, and perhaps even lack of ideology, which makes it difficult for the electorate to distinguish competing political aspirants beyond their personalities. 

This reality makes it tricky for the Kenyan media to track politics based on issues by virtue of the many non-issues competing for attention. Therefore, the media tends to focus on political personalities and in the process, risks the danger of ethnic arithmetic. So how should the Kenyan media cover the upcoming elections? 

It must take the patriotic lead in order to set the agenda for the international media. This means that if it is to release preliminary unofficial results of the election, then it should uphold professionalism to ensure its numbers dovetail with those of the IEBC. The local media and the IEBC must work in tandem to ensure electoral news is treated carefully. This demands a radical departure from “if it bleeds it leads” western journalistic mentality. 

Televising the elections live might be good since voting often put people under pressure to know results. This is why BVR kits should not be taken for granted. They can speed up efforts to release results from multiple polling stations nationally to help wanainchi offload anticipation pressures. Is the local media well prepared for this? 

Well, the IEBC has been under pressure to publicly state how well prepared it is to conduct the upcoming elections. Our media should be subjected to the same measure of scrutiny. It must begin telling us how it will ensure the upcoming elections are successful.