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{
    "id": 1126159,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1126159/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 15,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Malalah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13195,
        "legal_name": "Cleophas Wakhungu Malalah",
        "slug": "cleophas-wakhungu-malalah-2"
    },
    "content": "community radio station but others too. We have a code in which community radios operate. We need to ensure that they are adequately protected. We have seen universities coming up with community radios that offer a good platform for our young people to have experience. We have seen young people rising up from community radios to mainstream media. An example in my area is Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) FM, which started with only two presenters but as we speak, it has a wide audience. It started from the Mahiakalo Ward in which I was a Member of County Assembly (MCA). As we speak, MMUST FM is heard up to Nandi County. Therefore, it is important for this House and the Committee on Information, Communication and Technology to ensure that we protect that specific community radio in Laikipia. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I finish, we need to look at all the radio stations. Let them be ethical as they conduct their duties. We have seen some vernacular radio stations across the country propagating hate speech. They incite their respective communities as we head for the elections. We need all the prosecuting organs and agencies that deal with cohesion and integration to monitor the vernacular radios so that we do not propagate hate as we head to the elections. The main aim of broadcasting information should be to ensure that we disseminate information that will help the country and uplift the living standards of our people. Mr. Speaker, Sir, nowadays, I do not hear programmes that educate our young people. When you switch on a radio station, you will only listen to political debates. Therefore, in future, we should have a regulation that compels all media houses to protect a certain segment for education. When I was growing up, we used to have Kiswahili lessons on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). However, nowadays, you do not listen to such programmes. For example, when you switch on KBC, Citizen or Nyota FM, you hear that incoming governor of Bungoma was in a certain village. We want to have information that will help our communities. Mr. Speaker, Sir, many young people are addicted to social media. We cannot control the young ones. You will find a five-year-old child accessing prohibited information on the internet just because they are idle. Therefore, the content that the media is broadcasting must be looked into seriously. The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) headed by Dr. Mutua should look into the content of these radio stations. We should not give them free space to broadcast whatever they want. We have seen some embarrassing programmes, which when you sit in your living room with your children, they cannot be consumed in a family set up. As the Committee on Information, Communication and Technology looks at this Petition, they should ensure that as we head to the next general election, we supervise the content that media houses broadcast to our generation. Otherwise, I join the petitioner in ensuring that we adjudicate this matter in good time. This is because it is unfair for a radio station to hack into the frequency of another radio station."
}