Kenya’s media panorama moved into 2026 with tv and radio nonetheless holding agency as on a regular basis companions for hundreds of thousands of households. As we discovered within the newest GeoPoll Media Panorama examine, social platforms proceed to eat into discretionary display screen time, but the information tells a gentle story – Kenyans nonetheless change on the TV and tune the radio dial.
GeoPoll’s Viewers Measurement (GAM) information from January to March 2026 provides us a transparent image of who’s watching, who’s listening, and when. This report distills the Q1 2026 numbers into the developments that matter for broadcasters, advertisers, and media planners.
As you learn by means of this overview, do not forget that it is a high-level abstract of nationwide attain and share for Q1 2026. Weekly and month-to-month shifts, regional breakdowns, content-level efficiency, promoting effectiveness research, hourly unique-audience evaluation, demographics, and precise numbers aren’t lined right here. For deeper insights, please attain out.
Prime TV Stations in Kenya
Tv stays a mass-reach medium in Kenya, and the highest of the desk in Q1 2026 appears acquainted. Citizen TV held on to the primary place, reaching three in each 4 Kenyan TV viewers over the quarter. NTV, KTN, SuperSport, and TV 47 rounded out the Prime 5, with SuperSport’s continued climb into the highest tier displaying each the energy of reside sport and the urge for food for premium soccer programming.
Prime 10 TV Stations by Attain (January – March 2026)
| Rank | Station | Attain % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizen TV | 75.5% |
| 2 | NTV | 61.0% |
| 3 | KTN | 55.6% |
| 4 | SuperSport | 53.7% |
| 5 | TV 47 | 53.0% |
| 6 | Maisha Magic East | 52.2% |
| 7 | K24 | 48.2% |
| 8 | KBC | 47.6% |
| 9 | Al Jazeera | 44.4% |
| 10 | Akili TV | 43.6% |
A couple of issues stand out when in comparison with our earlier report. SuperSport has climbed into the Prime 4 on the again of a packed sporting calendar. TV 47 continues to consolidate its place as a go-to information and present affairs possibility, and Al Jazeera’s look within the Prime 10 displays sturdy curiosity in worldwide information protection throughout an eventful first quarter, particularly with the Iran-Israel-US battle.
TV Viewership by Dayparts
Attain tells us who tuned in over the quarter. Daypart share of viewing tells us when every station was profitable. The numbers under characterize every station’s share of whole Prime 10 viewing throughout the time block.
Early Morning (6:00 AM – 9:00 AM): Breakfast TV belongs to Citizen TV, which captures roughly 26% of Prime 10 viewing through the morning block. NTV follows at 11.5%, with TV 47, KTN, and K24 clustered carefully as Kenyans meet up with morning bulletins and speak reveals earlier than heading out.
Mid-Morning to Afternoon (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM): The daytime block is fragmented. Citizen TV nonetheless leads, however Maisha Magic East makes a powerful displaying with native drama and cleaning soap operas pulling in at-home audiences, whereas Inooro TV sustains a loyal vernacular following.
Prime-Time (7:00 PM – 9:30 PM): This stays probably the most aggressive and most commercially priceless block of the day. Citizen TV instructions 35.5% of Prime 10 prime-time viewing on weekdays, powered by the 7:00 PM Swahili information and the programming that follows. NTV (13.4%) is the clear quantity two, adopted by Maisha Magic East (8.9%), KTN (8.5%), SuperSport (7.3%), and TV 47 (6.9%).
Weekday Prime-Time Share of Viewing (7:00 PM – 9:30 PM)
| Station | Share of Prime-Time Viewing |
|---|---|
| Citizen TV | 35.5% |
| NTV | 13.4% |
| Maisha Magic East | 8.9% |
| KTN | 8.5% |
| SuperSport | 7.3% |
| TV 47 | 6.9% |
| Inooro TV | 5.8% |
| K24 | 5.1% |
| KBC | 4.9% |
| Al Jazeera | 3.8% |
Late Evening (10:00 PM – Midnight): That is the place the rating adjustments most dramatically. SuperSport takes 37% of late-night viewing on weekdays, typically greater than some other station, as soccer followers look forward to European fixtures. Citizen TV holds second place at about 21%, with Maisha Magic East third.
Weekend and Particular Programming Tendencies
Weekends shuffle the deck in favour of sport and household programming.
- SuperSport’s share of weekend prime-time viewing climbs to 16.9%, practically double its weekday prime-time share, pushed by weekend soccer and different reside sports activities.
- Within the weekend afternoon block (2:00 PM – 6:30 PM), SuperSport and Citizen TV run neck and neck, every capturing roughly 22–23% of Prime 10 viewing, a sample that displays sports activities protection operating alongside household viewing.
- Maisha Magic East maintains a powerful weekend footprint with native drama.
- Citizen TV and NTV proceed to anchor weekend information bulletins and present affairs panels.
Prime Radio Stations in Kenya
Radio continues to be remarkably resilient in Kenya. Regardless of the developments round podcasts and social audio, practically two in three Kenyan radio listeners tuned into Citizen Radio in Q1 2026, with a dense pack of opponents shut behind.
Prime 10 Radio Stations by Attain (January – March 2026)
| Rank | Station | Attain % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizen | 64.7% |
| 2 | Radio Jambo | 59.6% |
| 3 | Basic 105 | 58.4% |
| 4 | Radio Maisha | 56.6% |
| 5 | Milele FM | 49.2% |
| 6 | Kiss FM | 43.9% |
| 7 | KBC English Service | 43.0% |
| 8 | Radio Taifa | 37.6% |
| 9 | Kameme | 36.5% |
| 10 | Radio 47 | 36.1% |
The highest 4 stations are separated by a slender margin, and all of them recorded their peak audiences at 7:00 AM – confirming that breakfast radio stays probably the most priceless block on the dial as listeners commute to work. Radio Jambo, apparently, is the one Prime 10 station whose peak hour shifts to eight:00 AM, pointing to a later-starting commuter viewers, most likely pushed by the favored Patanisho phase.
Radio Listenership by Dayparts
Breakfast (6:00 AM – 9:00 AM): The breakfast block is a four-station contest. Basic 105 leads with 18.8% of Prime 10 morning listening on weekdays, narrowly edging Citizen (17.4%), Radio Jambo (15.0%), and Radio Maisha (12.0%). Life-style and political speak reveals drive this block, and it’s the place manufacturers usually make investments most closely.
Weekday Breakfast Share of Listening (6:00 AM – 9:00 AM)
| Station | Share of Breakfast Listening |
|---|---|
| Basic 105 | 18.8% |
| Citizen | 17.4% |
| Radio Jambo | 15.0% |
| Radio Maisha | 12.0% |
| Kameme | 7.8% |
| Milele FM | 6.5% |
| Radio 47 | 6.4% |
| Kiss FM | 6.2% |
| Radio Taifa | 5.6% |
| KBC English Service | 4.3% |
Daytime (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM): Listening ranges dip in comparison with breakfast, however Citizen and Basic 105 proceed to guide. Kameme reveals explicit energy within the mid-morning block, reflecting its loyal Central Kenya viewers staying tuned by means of the day.
Drive-Time (4:00 PM – 7:00 PM): Citizen pulls forward within the afternoon drive block with 20.4% share of Prime 10 listening, adopted by Basic 105 (14.5%), Radio Jambo (14.1%), and Radio Maisha (11.9%).
Night (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM): Citizen’s lead widens additional within the night to 26.1%, with Basic 105, Radio Maisha, and Radio Jambo filling out the highest 4.
Weekend Radio Tendencies
The weekend sample mirrors weekdays on the prime, however with a gentler peak and extra even distribution throughout the day. Citizen (19.3%) and Basic 105 (18.1%) are primarily tied for weekend breakfast management, whereas Radio Jambo and Radio Maisha preserve their sturdy third and fourth positions.
What the Q1 2026 Numbers Inform Us
A couple of themes emerge from the information:
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The hole behind the leaders is narrower than the highest line suggests. Citizen TV and Citizen Radio lead their respective rankings. It’s price noting that in a number of dayparts, the second and third-place stations are inside single-digit share factors, which means daypart choice issues as a lot as station choice for many campaigns for media planners.
- Sport is now a Prime 10 drive on tv. SuperSport’s weekend prime-time share (16.9%) and late-night dominance (37%) sign that reside sports activities are among the many few classes persistently pulling Kenyan viewers again to linear TV.
- Breakfast stays probably the most contested slot on radio. 4 stations are inside a seven-point vary at breakfast, and any share shift throughout this block has outsized business implications.
- Vernacular and worldwide stations have actual weight. Inooro TV, Kameme, and Al Jazeera all made significant appearances in nationwide rankings and in particular dayparts, a reminder that Kenya’s media market is extra nuanced than the highest line suggests.
GeoPoll Viewers Measurement
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