Kenya to switch off analogue TV on December 13

The government has set December 13 as the switch off date of the analogue television broadcasting signal in Nairobi and its environs.

Information Communication and Technology Principal Secretary Joseph Tiampati said the Digital Television Committee arrived at the new date following consultation with all stakeholders in the broadcasting industry.

“The switch off will be a phased process, Nairobi being the first, in order to allow for smooth transition ahead of the global deadline,” Mr Tiampati said during a news conference in Nairobi Tuesday.

The second phase will see the switch off of the analogue signal in major towns including Mombasa, Kisumu,Malindi, Nyeri, Meru, Webuye, Nakuru and Eldoret on March 30 next year.

The switchover in all the other areas will be done on June 30, 2014.

Initially, Kenya, together with the member states of the East African Community, had set December 2012 as the cutover date for the digital migration but only Tanzania succeeded in the move by switching off the analogue signal in Dar es Salaam on January 1, 2013.

The Consumer Federation of Kenya last year successfully challenged the government’s intention to switch Nairobi from analogue to digital broadcasting by December.

However, following discussions with the government, the lobby group withdrew the court case in exchange for a role to steer the process.

Two weeks ago, Cofek said it had withdrawn from the government-led Digital Television Committee.

The lobby accused the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology of failing to honour its part of the deal that would have seen Cofek spearhead the migration process.

“While Cofek met all its expectations, the government side did not honour even a single expectation,” said Cofek secretary general Stephen Mutoro.