The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) is grappling with severe financial constraints as the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year sees a dramatic reduction from KES 1.5 billion to KES 500 million.
The revelation came during discussions led by the National Assembly’s Communication Information and Innovation Committee, shedding light on broader issues of funding challenges within the communication sector.
Principal Secretary Edward Kisiang’ani, representing the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunication, highlighted the financial woes plaguing Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs), particularly the Media Council of Kenya.
“MCK had a proposed budget of KES 1.5 billion, which has now been slashed to KES 500 million. MCK will struggle to pay salaries, let alone execute their mandate,” he lamented.
Lawmakers expressed deep concern over the arbitrary budget cuts, emphasizing the lack of foresight into how these reductions would impact the operational efficacy of SAGAs. Hon. Shakeel underscored the disconnect, stating, “The SAGAs’ biggest problem is that Treasury just cuts budgets without visualizing how it will affect operations on the ground.”
Discrepancies in budget allocation further came to light during discussions, with Hon. Kiarie pointing out issues with the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) Eldoret Branch’s budget utilization. Despite funds allocated, no construction has commenced, raising questions about effective resource management.
The scrutiny extended to the Government Advertising Agency (GAA) and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), with concerns over pending bills amounting to KES 96 billion. Legislators questioned the absence of financial management strategies and urged SAGAs to leverage assets for revenue generation.
In response to the challenges, PS Kisiang’ani acknowledged the need for realignment and increased revenue streams to reduce dependency on the exchequer. However, the Committee stressed the importance of efficient fund disbursement to ensure SAGAs can fulfill their mandates effectively.
