Kenyan governors have reacted negatively to a government directive that all ministries and state agencies must advertise online, saying it was not popular, legal or practical given lack of internet penetration in rural areas.
The Daily Nation reports Siaya governor Cornell Rasanga described the new directive as illegal, and said county governments would oppose as it would deny many Kenyans the right to information from county government advertisements and notices.
Council of Governors vice-chairman Salim Mvurya said counties were not subordinate to the national government and would not take orders from ministries, Nyamira governor John Nyagarama said the directive was unacceptable as the two systems of government were independent of each other.
The national government plans to have all its bodiesadvertise online in a bid to cut expenditure on communication services, as well as that incurred on advertising, with Ministry of ICT cabinet secretary Fred Matiangi saying the move had been sanctioned by cabinet and would see advertising expenditure come down to KSh1 billion (US$11.4 million) per year from the current KSh2.8 billion (US$31.9 million).
“The new directive requires all advertisements and notices by government ministries, state corporations and foreign missions to be published through other more cost-effective means, preferably the electronic media, using the government portal,” said Matiangi.
The government will also establish the Government Advertising Unit under the Ministry of ICT, tasked with coordinating and managing the procurement of all advertising services for the government and other state companies.
