Abstract
The media system in Kenya is the subject of this chapter. Kenya has a unique media landscape in Africa with strong foreign ownership from colonial to postcolonial times. Indians, Europeans and now politicians dominate media ownership in Kenya with consequences on press freedom and media autonomy. The chapter discusses the history of Kenya which has strong bearing on the media system. Such influence includes the Mau Mau uprising, the one party state under Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi, and the role played by the media in returning the country to the era of multiparty elections. The influence of ethnicity and regionalism in Kenyan politics and post-election violence are among the issues discussed. This historical context is then analysed within the media systems theory proposed by Hallin and Mancini (Comparing media systems: three models of media and politics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge/New York, 2004). The discussion concludes that the Kenyan media system is closer to the Polarised Pluralist Model, but with strong features of the Liberal Model due to private ownership of the media.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abdi, J., & Deane, J. (2008). The 2007 General Elections in Kenya and Its Aftermath: The Role of Local Language Media. Press/Politics, 13(3), 319–327.
Andreassen, B. A., & Barasa, T. (2011). Political Transition, Governance and Human Rights in Kenya: Political Context Study. RIPOCA Research Notes. Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Oslo. Retrieved May 11, 2018, Available at https://www.jus.uio.no/smr/english/research/projects/ripoca/rn/6-2011.pdf
Badgikan, B. (2004). The New Media Monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press.
Barnett, S. (2010). What’s Wrong with Media Monopolies? Lesson from History and a New Approach to Media Ownership Policy. In R. Mansell & B. Cammaerts (Eds.), Media@LSE Electronic Working Papers. Retrieved May 9, 2018, Available at http://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/assets/documents/research/working-paper-series/EWP18.pdf
BBC. (2018). Kenya Profile-Timeline. Retrieved May 7, 2018, Available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13682176
Blackpast. (2018). Mau Mau (1952–1960). Online Encylopedia. Retrieved May 7, 2018, Available at http://www.blackpast.org/gah/mau-mau-1952-1960
Carter, F. (1968). The Press in Kenya. International Communication Gazette, 14(2), 85–88.
Compaine, B. M., & Gomery, D. (2000). Who Owns the Media? Competition and Concentration in the Mass Media (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.
Diedong Africanus, L. (2018). Political Communication in Ghana: Exploring Evolving Trends and Their Implications for National Development. In B. Mutsvairo & B. Karam (Eds.), Perspectives on Political Communication in Africa (pp. 255–268). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Eklund, D. (2010). Kenyan Conflict, Post-colonial Media. Department of Political Science, Lund University. Retrieved May 8, 2018, Available at http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=1607637&fileOId=1607653
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2018). Swahili Language. Retrieved May 7, 2018, Available at https://www.britannica.com/topic/Swahili-language
Hallin, D. C., & Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.
Heath, C. W. (1992). Structural Changes in Kenya’s Broadcasting System: A Manifestation of Presidential Authoritarianism. Gazette, 37, 37–51.
Herman, E. S., & Chomsky, N. (2002). Manufacturing Consent. The Political Economy of the Mass Media. New York: Pantheon.
Independent. (2007). Kibaki ‘Stole’ Kenyan Election Through Vote-Rigging and Fraud. Retrieved May 11, 2018, Available at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/kibaki-stole-kenyan-election-through-vote-rigging-and-fraud-772349.html
Ireri, K. (2016). High Job Satisfaction Despite Low Income: A National Study of Kenyan Journalists. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 93(1), 164–186.
Ireri, K. (2017a). A National Survey of Demographics Composition of Kenyan Journalists. Journalism, 18(2), 241–261.
Ireri, K. (2017b). Exploring Journalism and Mass Communication Training in Kenya: A National Survey. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 1–15.
KenyaTravelTips. (2018). History of Kenya from Colonial Period to Today. Retrieved May 7, 2018, Available at https://www.kenyatraveltips.com/history-of-kenya/
Makinen, M., & Kuira, M. W. (2008). Social Media and Postelection Crisis in Kenya. Press/Politics, 13(3), 328–335.
Mulama, J. (2006, May 2). World Press Freedom Day: Of Information Bills, and Schools Onbars. Inter Press Service. Retrieved from http://www.ipsnews.net/2006/05/world-pressfreedom-day-of-information-bills-and-schools-on-bars/
Mazrui, A. A. (2004, July 12). The Ethics of Africa’s Governance: Rights, Rules and Relativism. Inaugural Lecture on Human Rights. Africa Legal Aid, Ghana. Retrieved May 1, 2018, Available at http://www.africalegalaid.com/download/afla_lecture_series/The_Ethics_of_Africa’s_Governance_Rights_Rules_and_Relativism.pdf
Odero, M. (2000). Press in Kenya: An Overview. In Media, and Performance in Kenya. Nairobi: FES.
Odhiambo, L. O. (1991). Development Journalism in Africa: Capitulation of the Fourth Estate. Africa Media Review, 5(2), 17–30.
Ogbondah, C. W. (1994). Press Freedom and Political Development in Africa. Africa Media Review, 8(3), 1–39.
Ogenga, F. (2008). The Role of Media Kenyan Media in the 2007 Elections. Journal of African Elections, 7(2 (1)), 124–134.
Siebert, F. S., Peterson, T., & Schramm, W. (1956). Four Theories of the Press. The Authoritarian, Libertarian, Social Responsibility and Soviet Communist Concepts of What the Press Should Be and Should Do. Urbana/Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
Somerville, K. (2011). Violence, Hate Speech and Inflammatory Broadcasting in Kenya: The Problems of Definition and Identification. Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies, 32(1), 82–101.
Steeves, J. (2006). Presidential Succession in Kenya. The Transition from Moi to Kibaki. Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, 44(2), 211–233.
The Commonwealth. (2018). Kenya-History. Retrieved May 7, 2018, Available at http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/kenya/history
The Guardian. (2007). Kenyans Riot as Kibaki Declared Poll Winner. Retrieved May 11, 2018, Available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/dec/31/kenya.topstories3
Tully, M., & Tuwei, D. (2016). We Are One Kenya: Representations of the Nation, Leadership, and De-ethnicised Identity on Reality TV. Media, Culture and Society, 38(8), 1119–1135.
Ugangu, W. (2012). Normative Media Theory and Rethinking of the Role of the Kenyan Media in Changing Social Economic Context. PhD Thesis, University of South Africa.
Ugboajah, F. O. (1985). Media Habits of Rural and Semi-Rural (Slum) Kenya. Gazette, 36, 155–174.
Wanyande, P. (1995). Mass Media-State Relations in Post-Colonial Kenya. Africa Media Review, 9(3), 54–75.
Washington Post. (2007). Incumbent Declared Winner in Kenya’s Disputed Election. Retrieved May, 11, 2018, Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/12/30/AR2007123002506.html
Yusha’u, M. J. (2010). Regional Parallelism and the Reporting of Corruption in the Nigerian Press. Journal of African Media Studies, 2(3), 353–369.
Yusha’u, M. J. (2018). For the Attention of African Media Scholars: An Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis. In B. Mutsvairo (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Media and Communication Research in Africa (pp. 465–482). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Yusha’u, M.J. (2018). Foreign Ownership, Local Dynamics: The Media System in Kenya. In: Regional Parallelism and Corruption Scandals in Nigeria. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96220-7_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96220-7_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-96219-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-96220-7
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)