Former Radio Africa Group Boss to Head National Broadcaster KBC

NAIROBI Kenya May 17 -Agnes Kalekye has been appointed as the new Managing Director at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), as announced by ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo on Friday evening.

Owalo stated, “This appointment, effective immediately, will span three years.”

Kalekye’s selection comes after a rigorous recruitment process involving eight candidates who were shortlisted in March. Candidates for the prime position included Abraham Muthogo Kamau, Tabitha Mutemi, OGW, Christopher S. Khisa (PhD) and Peter Njigua. Others were Jason K. Nyantino, Peter O. Opondo and Sogoti James.

Notably, KBC had been without a permanent MD since Naim Bilal’s departure. In December 2023, there was turbulence at the national broadcaster after ICT Minister Eliud Owalo fired the then acting MD Samuel Maina in a huff.

The sacking was in response to a letter written by Maina to the British broadcaster Channel 2 Group, wherein he committed the government to pay the company $5 billion (Ksh.769.5 billion) to the London-based media house.

In a letter addressed to KBC board chairman Benjamin Maingi then, CS Owalo stated that the KBC boss failed to seek approval from the ICT Ministry, Treasury, the Attorney General’s office, and the Department of Justice, despite earlier instructions given to the state broadcaster regarding the matter.

Before her appointment, Kalekye held positions as the Chairperson of the Media Owners Association and as the Chief Operating Officer at Radio Africa Group.

Eyes will be on her to see if she gets to transform the sleeping giant that is KBC make it break even amid claims of wastage and haemorrhage of state resources.