[kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike

Thu Mar 8 15:54:09 EAT 2012

>The study makes several recommendations for example the need for a new KBC
Act that  guarantee editorial independence for the KBC.

Editorial independence by KBC would not be a wise move. Even BBC promotes
Imperial and British agenda across the world. KBC in the same breadth
should promote the Kenyan agenda in the region

On 8 March 2012 12:42, Bitange Ndemo <bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:

> Grace,
> Thanks for your comprehensive response.
>
> Ndemo.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 08 Mar 2012, at 11:43, Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Robert
>
> Yes KBC has a HR department. It is one of the nine departments of the
> Corporation with others being finance and administration,
> ICT, units for audits and procurement, radio services, television
> services, news and editorial, technical, and sales. It also has a
> strategic plan (2007-2012).
>
> I was involved in a study on '*Public Broadcasting in Africa series*',
> and I was the Kenyan Researcher. This is a project that was supported by
> the Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP)  the Open
> Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA). The study was launched by PS
> Ndemo in October last year. Please see chapter 6 on KBC as a Corporation
> (from pg 69),  and chapter 7 on how it is funded. KBC has had funding
> challenges. PS Ndemo has been instrumental in pushing for reinstatement of
> funding for KBC from exchequer (just giving credit where due), and by
> institutionalizing this funding as stipulated in the *The Broadcasting
> Regulations 2009 in section 11(2)**.*
>
> For more please refer to the full study. <http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/MAIN%20report%20final%20web%20res.pdf>
> http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/MAIN%20report%20final%20web%20res.pdf
>
>
>
> Some concerns raised:
>
> 1.    KBC has substantial debts. Some going way back to 1989. As of May 2009,
> a massive Kes. 8.2 billion  was owed to the government of Japan for the
> installation of medium wave (MW) transmission stations. This project was
> part of an agreement concluded between the two governments in 1989.  MW
> is an obsolete technology and changing from MW to FM meant additional costs
> for KBC.  Before the launch, it was reported that the government had
> agreed to negotiate with its Japanese counterpart on how to deal with the
> debt with a view to having it written of.
>
> 2.    The KBC board needs to be knowledgeable, comprising people with an
> education and with skills in areas indicated in the KBC Act section
> 4(1). This requirement to have board members with specialized skills has
> not always been followed. In the course of the research, I was informed
> that  KBC has even at some point had board members who had no inkling of
> specific tasks of the broadcaster. Many are the times when the board has
> had members who are retired civil servants and politicians who did not
> make it to Parliament as a way of being rewarded.
>
> 3. KBC has a staff contingent of 890 members excluding artistes,
>  marketing freelancers and part-timers. Between 2005 and 2008, the
> Corporation reduced its  workforce drastically from 1 300. Artistes are
> like correspondents who have a retainer (not a salary). This is a bloated
> workforce.
>
> 4. The salaries of KBC staff – the middle and lower levels in particular
> – are low and out of kilter with those in the wider broadcasting
> industry. The low salaries have resulted in a high staff turnover as
> other stations offer better pay packages: This happens especially after
> staff have undergone training which KBC provides in conjunction with
> international organisations such as the BBC and Deutsche Welle (DW).
> Infact there are unconfirmed reports that the entire KBC Maasai service has
> been poached by a competitor. Staff also complained on the way promotions
> have been effected suggesting favoritism.
>
> The study makes several recommendations for example the need for a new KBC
> Act that  guarantee editorial independence for the KBC, and has a design
> for a modern organisational structure. Further, after the enactment of new
> legislation for the KBC and the establishment of a new board, *the
> government should take over all debts on the Corporation’s books to enable
> KBC make a new start with a clean slate.*
> * *
> Rgds
> GG
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life
> is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go
> forth and rule the World!
>
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 05:57:01 +0000
> From: <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike
> CC: <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> To: <ggithaiga at hotmail.com>ggithaiga at hotmail.com
>
> PS Ndemo,
>
> Just a quick question, does KBC have a HR department?
>
> Regards
>
> Robert Yawe
> KAY System Technologies Ltd
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> Kenya
>
> Tel: +254722511225 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
> +254722511225      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, +254202010696begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
>             +254202010696      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "bitange at jambo.co.ke" <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> To: <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Sent: Tuesday, 6 March 2012, 13:14
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike
>
> >
>
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> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
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