KBC, Ministry of agricuture, clinch deal to promote agriculture

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) will devote more air time to promote programmes that support agriculture as its contribution to the realization of national food and nutrition security, Managing Director Waithaka Waihenya said yesterday.
Mr. Waihenya said that as a State broadcaster and the media house with the widest reach in the country, KBC was best placed to facilitate achievement of Kenyans’ aspirations especially those that touch on rural communities.
He said other than the English and Radio Taifa services, KBC has 13 vernacular FM Radio stations with wide coverage, making it an ideal station to reach majority of Kenyans across the country.
The MD was speaking when he received Agriculture Principal Secetary Dr. Richard Lesiyampe who paid him a courtesy call to discuss areas of cooperation between the Ministry and KBC in promoting agriculture.
Dr. Lesiyampe said KBC and the Ministry had a long history of cooperation where the Ministry’s Agricultural Information Research Centre (AIRC) produced radio programmes which were aired by KBC at subsidized rates.
The PS said AIRC was a full-fledged media centre with modern radio and television facilities, which if used to full capacity, can be more useful in producing radio and TV documentaries.
During the meeting, it was agreed that the popular Sikio la Mkulima radio programme that had dominated KBC’s airwaves for decades and and which stalled in 2014, would be revived. The 15 minutes’ documentary will be back before the end of this month.
Waihenya and Lesiyampe agreed a technical team comprised of KBC and the Ministry would be formed to explore how more radio programmes can be introduced on KBC radio and TV.
The PS welcomed private agriculture stakeholders such as seed companies, grain millers and producers of animal feeds and farm inputs to join the partnership in order to make the venture cheaper through cost-sharing. He also committed the Ministry to repaying KBC outstanding dues.
Others present were the Ministry’s AIRC director Esther Magambo and KBC’s Radio Programmes Manager Jonah Kusero.