The sector regulator says after it gave a 30-day revocation notice in December, more than 100 rushed to comply, with a few asking for payment plans and time extensions.
Mr Chiloba said about 23 broadcasters did not do anything and that means authorities would go ahead to revoke their licences in line with the Kenya Information and Communications Act.
He said some had threatened to go to court but at some point, they opted to comply rather than fight.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has raised over Sh100 million from a frequency crackdown targeting 128 broadcasters as it moves to step up compliance.
The sector regulator says after it gave a 30-day revocation notice in December, more than 100 rushed to comply, with a few asking for payment plans and time extensions.
“We have about 490 broadcasters who are licensed but we had problems with about 128 and not just once but had demonstrated that historically they have remained non-compliant,” CA Director General Ezra Chiloba told the Business Daily in an interview.
“So we took that action and I am happy to report that there has been a lot of progress. Those who had not applied have now applied and those who have not paid have now paid and we made about Sh100 million within one month.”
He added that the crackdown will ensure that those who had frequencies and were not utilising them release them so that the resources could be allocated to “serious” investors.
Mr Chiloba said about 23 broadcasters did not do anything and that means authorities would go ahead to revoke their licences in line with the Kenya Information and Communications Act. He did not reveal the names of the stations that will be affected saying this will be known by March 31 when a report is published.
“We are still carrying out an audit and we will issue another report at the end of this quarter on the status. Some never appealed or do anything and we are going to revoke those,” he said.
He said some had threatened to go to court but at some point, they opted to comply rather than fight. Among the broadcasters are 60 radio stations that were operating without complying with various licence conditions.
Those that CA gave the frequency cancellation notices include Capital FM which is owned by the late industrialist Chris Kirubi. Others are NRG, Mbaitu FM, One FM, Faith FM, and Qwetu Radio.
CA is responsible for managing the country’s numbering and frequency spectrum resources.
This comes at a time when the new CA boss has stepped up efforts to collect billions of shillings tied up in frequency fees in the sector.
Mr Chiloba said he negotiated an out-of-court settlement that will see Airtel Kenya pay the Sh2 billion license fee, bringing to an end a seven-year fight with the telco.
The deal signed in February will see Airtel Kenya pay the money in installments over the next two years to regularise its licence. Airtel has been operating on a licence acquired along with Essar’s (yuMobile) assets in a deal concluded in 2014.
