Newspaper sales and readership in Kenya has seen a steep, continuous decline over the last five years; dropping to historic lows as audiences rapidly shift to social media platforms.
Data from the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), a body that regulates the media in the country shows that currently, only about 36.6 per cent of current readers purchase hard copy newspapers, while 18.4 per cent subscribe to e-papers. The remaining majority largely rely on digital news feeds
Despite the overall decline, the remaining physical and digital print market share as done in 2022, estimated that the daily newspaper circulation (print and digital combined) was 20.9 million for both weekdays and Sundays, having gone down by eight and 10 percent respectively from 2021 figures. Daily Nation leads with 49 per cent readership followed by The Standard (18 per cent), and Taifa Leo with nine per cent.
To digger deeper into the diminishing newspaper sales amid increasing social media outlets and adoption, we interviewed Mr. Micah Otieno Ochieng at his newspaper stand in Kisumu city.
Newspapers are still part of his display though he also sell other items including biro pens, tropical sweets, sewing needles, SIM cards, carrier bags, books and M-Kopa phones, phone covers – items that now keep his small business alive.
For more than two decades, newspapers were his livelihood. “I started selling newspapers and magazines in 2004,” he says adding . “Back then, business was good.”
Those were the days when he says he could sell about 200 newspapers in a single day. The income was enough to educate his children, build a house and comfortably provide for his family. Newspapers were in high demand, with readers eagerly buying copies to keep abreast with politics, business and current affairs. Today, that reality has changed dramatically.
The rise of smartphones, widespread internet access and the growing preference for digital news have steadily reduced demand for printed newspapers.
Besides COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted businesses across the country and accelerated the shift to online information.
According to Mr. Otieno, the newspaper business has never fully recovered up to now. “COVID-19 affected many businesses, including ours. People got used to getting news on their phones,” he says.
As newspaper sales continued to decline, he was forced to adapt whereas in 2022, he began adding other products to his stall after newspaper supplies reduced and sales dropped.
The diversification was not by choice but by necessity. Some days, he says, he closes his business without selling a single newspaper and even sweets that once sold quickly now move at a snail`s pace.
“There was a time I could finish more than two packets of tropical sweets in a day, but today, one packet can last an entire week,” he regrets.
To survive, Mika has gone beyond his roadside stall. He now hawks goods to supplement his income, saying the little he earns helps him support his family.
On a good day, he earns between Sh150 and Sh200, depending on sales. However, the amount is never guaranteed because business fluctuates from one day to another.
“The newspaper business alone can no longer sustain us,” he quips.
The reading culture is also shifting as evidenced by the customers who still stop at his stand. Most are older readers who believe newspapers provide more detailed and less distracting information than digital platforms.
“Young people rarely buy newspapers. Most of my customers are elderly people. The decline is also reflected in supply. Previously, vendors received large bundles of newspapers compared to today’s deliveries which are much smaller bundles,” Otieno adds.
“Nowadays, a vendor may receive only about 40 newspapers, and even selling half of them is difficult,” he further explains noting that changing political interests have affected newspaper sales.
He recalls that political headlines once attracted many buyers unlike today adding that when news broke of the former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga’s death, distributors expected an unusually high demand and supplied vendors with many copies but the response was far below expectations.
“They supplied us with so many newspapers, but I only sold five,” he stated noting that was another sign that many Kenyans now turn to digital platforms rather than printed newspapers, even during major national events.
He believes newspaper publishers have also contributed to the industry’s struggles by making the same content easily available through websites, mobile applications and online links.
“They introduced apps and online platforms where people can read the news. That left vendors with no option but to suffer.”
Apart from competition from online news platforms and social media, Otieno says unpredictable daily sales remain one of his biggest challenges. To maximize his earnings, he often leaves his stall to hawk his merchandise in nearby areas. During such times, he hires someone for a small fee to watch over his business until he returns.
Although he continues selling newspapers, Otieno has resigned to the fact that the future may demand him to try another business.”If newspapers disappear completely, I already have another business to rely on, “Otieno says.
His story reflects the difficult choices facing many small-scale newspaper vendors across Kenya. As audiences increasingly consume news digitally, vendors who once depended solely on newspaper sales are reinventing themselves to survive.
For Otieno, every newspaper sold is a reminder of better days. Yet every pen, SIM card, sweet and carrier bag on his table tells another story that survival often means embracing change while holding on to hope.
It’s said when the going gets tough, the tough keeps going. In a changing economic environment, being able to adjust accordingly will enable one not only to cushion themselves from the effects of negative change but also to embrace new opportunities.
by Mabel Keya – Shikuku & Mary Auma
