Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is the state-run media organization of Kenya. It broadcasts in both English and Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation started its life in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. In 1964, when Kenya became an independent country, the corporation's name was changed to Voice of Kenya. In 1989, the Kenyan parliament reverted the corporation's name from Voice of Kenya to Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. It is hypothesized by most Kenyans that the to-and-fro change in corporation's name was initially caused by bad relations between Kenya and Britain after Kenya's independence, but most Kenyans later felt that the former name was more appropriate due to its similarity to the prestigious British Broadcasting Corporation.

During the rule of former president Daniel arap Moi, KBC became the official mouthpiece of the government. Each broadcast opened with a piece on what the president had been doing that day. Under the current president, Mwai Kibaki KBC takes a more objective line. The corporation helped mould most of Kenya's notable journalists especially before the liberalization of the airwaves in Kenya. One such journalist is Leonard Mambo Mbotela whose name has for a long time been synonymous with KBC radio's Idhaa ya Kiswahili (Swahili Service). Others before him included the late Job Isaac Mwamto,Amina Fakhii, Khadija Ali, and the late Stephen Kikumu, who was one of the forefront pioneer broadcasters.In the English service prominent broadcasters who pioneered the service were Hassan Mazoa, Sammy Lui, followed later by the likes of Peter Njoroge, Elizabeth Omolo and in the prime hey days of the service in the 70s were Abdulhaq and George Opiyo.

Read more about Kenya Broadcasting Corporation:  History of KBC, List of KBC Programs

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