On the ensuing Digital Migration debacle - Kenya Govt (CAK) Vs ADN Consortium

1.  It’s simple arithmetic – who loses most from the continued switch-off of SG, NMG and RMS? Ask yourself what immediate gains the GoK would accrue from the hasty migration to digital; in terms of revenues? media space for Kenyans? investment? trade? And what does the government lose: - revenue dips, eminent job loses, shrinkage of media space as the coalition members continue the shutdown. Do the math. It is not the government, neither is it so much the media - its Kenyans on the losing. Those of you who will soon be laid off; those of you who are bored stiff because you have no DSTV to watch todo sobre? Those of you who will not get public services because KRA failed to reach revenue targets because in some month in 2015 – some media houses were making loses.

2. Whilst governments elsewhere, in both the developed and developing world endear themselves to investors, make doing business easy, ours is actively stifling business and pushing away existing investors and crowding out potential ones. Why, because of egocentric tea-cup storms between a state agency and private sector!

3.  Granted we need an effective and efficient regulatory environment for the media – but at what cost? Granted we need to open up to the opportunities that digital migration portends, but at what cost? It is in the interest of government and the obligation of government to ensure that a speedy and lasting solution is found.

4.  So you hear Information Cabinet sec ranting how right government is and how wrong the ADN coalition is, you wonder why finance cabinet secretary – and all the folks that spend endless sums of tax payer money ‘wooing investors’ aren’t say a thing.

5.  These media houses have themselves succeeded in showing Kenyans how much they don’t matter. This should serve as a lesson to them – that as much as its business, it is the kind that is dependent on effective institutions of governments - which ‘the people’ have a way of influencing. A decade ago – people would have been on the streets protesting this switch off. But the ordinary Kenyan today has been showed the middle finger so much by these media houses, in the conduct of their coverage that no one gives a hoot.

6.  This is from my conspiracist closet. Come to think of it – aren’t these media houses the same ones largely controlled and bankrolled by Kenya’s cabal of current politicians? Why haven’t people pulled the ropes to save their businesses?