Regulation of media: comparative analysis of regulation of broadcasting services in Kenya

Abstract

All over the world the media is an integral part of our lives at home, at work, at leisure and while traveling. Kenya‟s Constitution 2010 has a new and progressive bill of rights requiring extensive reforms to both media and information management frameworks. However, the assumption is that once the new laws, policies, regulations and institutions are in place, little or no attention is given to the outputs, outcomes and impact of their implementation .Currently, complaints are being raised on the content of the media, media owners have raised objections to passage of new media laws and there is failure to address existing legislative and institutional inconsistencies. This project focuses on the likelihood of a disparity in the legislation and institutional frameworks relating to freedom and independence of the media in Kenya and the extent to which their implementation affects practice in media. The project analyses the status and progress of media freedom in Kenya, the comparison between media in Kenya, the developed countries and the international standards and makes recommendations for improved protection of the freedom of the media and implementation of the existing regulations in place in Kenya.