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The Kenyan government will no longer place adverts in commercial media, it announced on Monday. The government said it was a move aimed at cutting costs because it spends about $20m (£16m) on advertising on things such as state tenders, job positions and public service announcements.
A government memo has told all state agencies to advertise through a new government magazine, My.Gov.
According to The Daily Nation, a privately owned newspaper in the country, the move followed a resolution to bypass private media organizations.
“During the special cabinet meeting held on February 8, 2017, the cabinet discussed and approved establishment of a wide circulation newspaper to be known as MY.GOV that will articulate the government agenda in a deeper and more accurate way for a better appreciation of government’s effort to improve the livelihood of the citizens,” it reports.
The move if implemented will lead to huge revenue losses and probably lead to more job cuts in the media industry.
Reports say that two main newspapers, The Star and The People Daily, have entered into an agreement with the government to distribute its advertising magazine for a fee.