A recent Ipsos survey shows radio remains Kenya's most consumed media platform, with an average of 33 million listeners. Radio Citizen leads with a reach of 9.1 percent, followed by Radio Jambo and Radio 47. The findings highlight shifts in the radio market due to newcomers like Radio 47.
According to the Ipsos Kenya Audience Tracker released on Thursday, radio continues to dominate media consumption in Kenya despite the rise of digital platforms. The survey indicates that established stations like Radio Citizen and Radio Jambo face stiff competition from newcomers offering digital audio-visual content.
In terms of reach, Radio Citizen, owned by Royal Media Services, attracted 9.1 percent of listeners. Radio Jambo followed with 3.8 percent, and Radio 47 with 3.7 percent. Vernacular stations such as Kameme Radio recorded 2.6 percent, Inooro FM 2.3 percent, while Milele FM, Radio Maisha, and Ramogi FM each had about 2.1 percent.
For audience share, measuring total listening time, Radio Citizen led with 17.0 percent. Radio 47 came second at 9.0 percent, and Radio Jambo at 7.2 percent. Kameme Radio had 5.7 percent, Milele FM and Ramogi FM each 4.7 percent, Chamgei FM 4.1 percent, and Radio Maisha 3.9 percent.
Listening patterns peak during early mornings and evenings, driven by breakfast and drive-time shows. Women made up 50.1 percent of listeners compared to 49.9 percent for men. Rural areas accounted for 65.4 percent of the audience versus 34.6 percent in urban centers.
Regionally, Central Kenya had the highest share at 18.4 percent, followed by Rift Valley at 14.9 percent and Western at 13.5 percent. Nairobi contributed 9.6 percent, Coast 8.9 percent, and Nyanza 3.9 percent. Other regions like North Eastern and Upper Eastern each had 5.7 percent, Lower Eastern 8.0 percent, and North Western the lowest at 2.7 percent.