Have you wondered who are the owners of popular tv channels in kenya?
In this article, public news takes a look at business moguls who have invested in the lucrative media industry.
Owners of popular tv channels in kenya
SK Macharia ( Citizen Tv, Chairman RMS)
Macharia is one of Kenyan business mogul with huge investment in media industry. He is ther owner Citizen TV Kenya.
Citizen Tv is the largest news channels in Kenya. The channel was launched in 1999.
It suffered setbacks in early 2000 following a dispute between Macharia and the then President Dainel Moi. It was relaunched in 2006.
SK Macharia founded Royal Media Services (RMS) in 1977. The giant media house has grown to be one of the leading media houses in Kenya.
Royal Media Services has both national and community-based stations. They include; Viusasa, iNooro TV, Radio Citizen, Inooro FM, Chamge FM, Ramogi FM, Egesa FM and Mulembe FM.
Moi Gideon (KTN)
The late President President Gideon Moi also invested in the lucrative media industry. He founded Kenya Television News (KTN) in 1990s.
KTN is among the leading News Channels in Kenya. It operates under Standard Media Group as the parent company.
The group also owns several other media stations/channels; KTN Home, KTN News, Burudani TV, and Farmers TV among others.
Standard Media Group focuses on news, current events, and Kenyan affairs, as well as documentaries and investigative pieces
Simon Gicharu (TV 47)
Professor Simon Gicharu is the face behind TV 47. He is also the founder of Mount Kenya University.
He owns TV47 which is managed by Cape Media Limited. The Tv was launched in 2019, and broadcasts in English and Kiswahili.
The station has progressively developed over the years, attracting top talent such as Churchil Ndambuki who has recently joined the station.
The television station has a terrestrial reach of 1.4 million viewers in Nairobi and 3.6 million in Central Kenya, according to a Geopoll estimate from 2021.
Andrew Ngirici (Mt.Kenya TV)
Andrew Ngirici is a Kirinyaga businessman, and husband to Kirinyaga Woman
Representative Purity Ngirici.
Ngirici is the owner of Mt Kenya TV through Slopes Media Company as of 2021. The news channel broadcasts in Kikuyu language.
In 2020 and 2021, the media house was accused of not paying up its staff journalists. This made many anchors, reporters, and producers to publicly quit the station.
John Marete (Weru TV)
John Marete is the face behind popular vernacular news channel Weru Tv. He was formerly working as the head of camera at Citizen Tv.
Marete launched Weru Tv in 2016 after he lost his job at Citizen Tv. He later launched Weu FM to counter RMS -owned Muuga FM.
Weru Tv has ever since grown to be the leading news channel in both Meru and Tharaka Nithi County.
Rodgers Kipempe Mpuru (Meru Tv)
Rodgers Kipempe Mpuru is the son of Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi. Young as he is, Kipempe isj a business mogul and the Secretary-General of NOPEU political party.
Rodgers is the owner of MERU TV, one of the top vernacular stations in the country. He also owns Thiiri FM- an upcoming radio station.
The two stations broadcasts in Kimeru language.
Kipempe came into limelight after media uncovered his vast wealth. The politician’s son is rumoured to have over 18 expensive cars.
Additionally, Kipempe has interests in the banking sector owning microfinance that targets and empowers business people and farmers through loans and agribusiness projects.
READ ALSO: Kipempe Mpuru, politician’s son who owns 18 vehicles
Chepkwony Joshua
He is the owner of Kass TV . The Tv channel operates under Joshua Chepkowny’s Kass Media Group, which transmits in the Kalenjin language.
While speaking in an interview, Chepkwony Jushua revealed the idea of setting up Kass TV came up through requests by the fans of Kass FM.
It was first vernacular television network, with an average of 5.1 hours of viewing each week, according to a report published in 2021.
