The government has limited its print advertisements to the state-owned MyGov publication.
MyGov, printed and distributed by Convergence Media (the publisher of The Star newspaper), will be the official platform for all public sector print ads.
Daily Nation, The Standard, The Star, and The People Daily newspapers had contracted with the State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications to print and distribute the paper until December 2023.
In a January 23 memo to all principal secretaries, CEOs of state corporations, independent commissions, and vice-chancellors of public universities, ICT Principal Secretary Edward Kisiang'ani stated that the contract had expired and that the government had issued a new tender for public sector advertisement.
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"After presenting the lowest and most sustainable bid, Convergence Media (publishers of The Star newspaper) won the tender to take up the new contract. For the next two years, therefore, The Star newspaper will be the sole printer and distributor of MyGov, giving the paper a wide presence on all the online and broadcasting channels run by Convergence Media," read the memo.
As a result, the PS stated that the terms of the new contract limit all print advertisements from all public institutions, except counties, to MyGov.
"Any requests for exemptions to publish advertisements outside MyGov, on a day other than Tuesday (when MyGov is published), will be directed to the Star newspaper upon authorization by this office," Kisiang'ani said.
"Consequently, this office will not grant any requests by MDAs to place any print advertisement on any other platform other than Convergence Media."
The PS directed that all planned advertisements from public institutions be forwarded to the Government Advertising Agency (GAA) director by Friday of each week for publication and distribution on MyGov the following Tuesday.
