The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) will revoke the licenses of 42 television stations in the next seven days. The announcement was made in a Kenya Gazette notice dated September 12. CA Director General David Mugonyi said the move is in line with the Kenya Information and Communications Act (Cap. 411).
Some of the stations affected include Metropol TV, Mount Kenya TV, Kingdom Ambassadors TV, and Tourism and Wildlife TV (Safari Channel). Once the licenses are revoked, the broadcasters will no longer be allowed to operate. Any resources held under the licenses will return to the authority.
“The Communications Authority of Kenya shall revoke the postal licenses of the listed service providers within seven days. After revocation, licensees will not be authorized to provide the services indicated,” Mugonyi said.
TV stations can lose their licenses for several reasons. These include broadcasting inappropriate content, failing to set up the required infrastructure, or not paying license fees. CA says these actions help maintain broadcasting standards and ensure media outlets comply with the law.
This is not the first time regulators have taken action against TV stations. Three months ago, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) warned 23 stations, including Kameme TV, for violating betting advertisement rules. Despite a 30-day suspension on betting ads, some stations continued to air content promoting betting with payment prompts.
The revocation of these 42 licenses shows that regulators are taking compliance seriously. Media houses must follow legal and regulatory requirements or risk losing the right to operate.
