By Arnold Ageta
The Media Council of Kenya has released its definitive “State of Media 2025” report, revealing a nation in the midst of a “permanent realignment of Kenyan attention”.
The survey, conducted between April 15th and April 23rd, 2026, across all 47 counties, depicts an ecosystem where digital platforms have officially overtaken legacy broadcast and print media as the primary source of news for citizens.
The Digital “New Baseline”
For the first time, social media has solidified its position as the leading news source in Kenya.
Reaching 39% in 2025, social media now sits comfortably ahead of television (31%) and radio (21%).
According to the report, this is not merely a trend but a structural shift: “Digital consumption is no longer growing alongside broadcast; it is growing at the expense of it”.
The move toward digital is driven by a mobile-first reality, with a staggering 91% of Kenyans using mobile devices as their primary means of accessing digital platforms.
The report warns that “If content, advertising, or news is not optimized for a 6-inch vertical screen, it effectively does not exist”.
The “Slow Fade” of Television and Radio
While television remains a “deeply ingrained daily routine” for many, its daily reach continues to contract, dropping from 63% in 2024 to 57% in 2025.
Perhaps most concerning for broadcasters is the finding that nearly 43% of the population has “abandoned the habit of daily linear television,” choosing instead to access video content on their own schedules.
Radio is facing an even steeper decline, described in the report as a “freefall”. Daily radio listenership plummeted to 41% in 2025, down from 75% just two years prior in 2023.
Despite this, radio remains a localized powerhouse, with vernacular stations like Kameme FM and Inooro FM maintaining “immense, unshakeable loyalty” in specific regions.
Print in “Terminal Decline”
The outlook for traditional newspapers is the most severe. Weekly readership has crashed from 29% in 2022 to a mere 13% in 2025.
The print market is now characterized by “extreme brand concentration,” with two legacy titans—Daily Nation and The Standard—monopolizing the shrinking reader base.
A Recovering Trust in Media
Despite the disruption of traditional business models, the credibility of Kenyan media is on the rebound.
The report highlights a significant “credibility gain,” noting that the percentage of Kenyans who perceive government coverage as unfair fell sharply from 73.6% in 2024 to 46.0% in 2025.
Overall, 79% of Kenyans expressed “some” or “a lot” of trust in the media, positioning it as one of the country’s most relied-upon institutions.
Kenyans continue to view the media as a vital watchdog. The survey found that 80% of the audience supports television outlets taking a bold stand on matters of public interest.
As the report notes, “The Kenyan audience rejects strict neutrality. They expect television to act as a guide, an advocate, and a bold participant in shaping public discourse”.
The AI Challenge
As the media landscape evolves, new threats are emerging. The report sounds an alarm on “AI literacy,” revealing that 63% of Kenyans cannot detect AI-generated content.
This lack of awareness risks exposing the public to sophisticated misinformation, a concern cited by 28% of respondents as a top priority for the industry.
The 2025 report serves as a wake-up call for traditional media houses. With 54% of the population under the age of 35, the “Generational Engine” of Kenya has moved online.
For the media ecosystem to survive, it must navigate the “affordability ceiling, “noting that 76% of respondents live on less than 30,000 KES monthly, while mastering the digital-first, mobile-optimized world that now commands the nation’s attention.
