Migori residents have been encouraged to utilise the radio as a tool for communication for social-economic development.
As the Country marks World Radio Day, the oldest medium of communication continues to provide 100-plus years of information, entertaining by connecting the masses through a single device.
According to Felix Nyambury, a Migori-based journalist and presenter at one of the local radio stations, this year’s World Radio Theme; a Century Informing, Entertaining, and Educating resonates well with the economic agenda of the County.
Nyambury, however, encouraged the County audience to listen more to the developmental programmes that aim to equip the locals with based agricultural practices.
The County has more than 11 local and community-based radio stations that serve the County with four linguistic languages; including Somali, Dholuo, Maragoli, and Kuria.
Nyamburi affirmed that the majority of the local stations have agricultural-tailored programmes and talk shows that aim to equip farmers with new and emerging trends in smart farming, agricultural entrepreneurship, and new emerging market links.
Migori County is an agricultural zone with sugar cane as its main cash crop. The County is also rich in maize, beans, and sweet potato production as well as mining and fishing industries that have benefited through radio access and education.
He acknowledged that the local and community-based radio stations do host personnel from the agricultural sector and extension officers to talk to the farmers on issues of smart farming, agribusiness, farm inputs application, and market access.
Nyamburi said that it was equally important to ensure that farmers who make part of the listeners are well conversant with what they are involved in to boost their agricultural ventures.
Peter Ologi, a freelance journalist said that radio has quite evolved and the incorporation of the digital space has already reinforced the concept that radio remains the biggest contributor to educating the public.
However, the Kenya National Federation of Farmers (KENAFF) Migori Chairperson Peter Chacha, affirmed that he has been using radio as a medium to communicate the federation agenda, to enlighten the public on the best farming practices, and to link the farmers to potential markets across the County.
“As a farmer’s federation, we have a programme on radio both in Kuria region and Migori Town where we speak to our farmers on important issues like chemical usage, farm preparations, market access, agricultural shows, and farm demos,” said Chacha.
The World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13 each year to recognize radio as a powerful communication tool and a low-cost medium. The medium is also celebrated as a way of educating people, providing information, and promoting freedom of expression across cultures in the world.
By Geoffrey Makokha
