Kenyan government seeks tighter media ownership controls


Details

Rebecca Hawkes

| 22 December 2015




Owners of private television and radio stations in Kenya will be required to seek regulatory approval before selling any stake to a third party, if newly published proposals become law.



The move is aimed at keeping out speculators wishing to obtain frequency spectrum and selling it on at a premium, says Francis Wangusi, director general of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

The CA would be able to veto or agree any acquisition exceeding 15% of a company’s worth, according to the Business Daily.

“A licensee shall, at least 30 days prior to effecting such proposed change, notify the Authority of any proposed change in ownership, control or proportion of shares held in it,” the Kenya Information and Communication (Broadcasting) Regulations 2015 states.

Regulatory permission would also have to be sought by existing shareholders hoping to increase their stake by 5% or more. The checks would enable compliance with the Communications Sector Policy, which caps foreign ownership of TV stations at 70%, said Wangusi.