Kenya today joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Radio Day.
This annual event was proclaimed on November 3, 2011 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) 36th General Conference after originally being proposed by the kingdom of Spain.
Under the theme "Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace", the celebration is a joint initiative between UN agencies and programmes (UNESCO, UNDP, UN Radio), national media stakeholders, and media practitioners from across Kenya.
The event will highlight the role of radio as a platform for communication in addressing the most important issues that affect society.
It will include a series of workshops on new media and ICT, sustainability of community radio operations and the production of civic education radio programming and the importance of inter-tribal dialogue in promoting peace and democracy.
Radio has embraced the digital revolution to expand its power and reach.
It is still the prominent medium that can carry any message to any place at any time even without electricity, providing a lifeline of information that can save lives.
In his message to the world, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in today’s world of digital communications, radio reaches more people than any other media platform.
He acknowledged that radio is a powerful tool and a personal, interactive platform where people can air their views, concerns, and grievances adding that it can create a community.
For the United Nations, especially the peacekeeping operations, Guterres said radio is a vital way of informing, reuniting and empowering people affected by war.
"On this World Radio Day, let us recognise the power of radio to promote dialogue, tolerance and peace,” concluded the UN SG.
In Kenya, the popularity of radio has grown over time and opened a window of immense opportunities in the socio-economic spheres reaching out to Kenyans who cannot afford television sets and other media.
Data by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows that there are currently 169 radio stations with their ownership cutting across media houses, politicians and individual Kenyans.This will be the 8th edition of the event.
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