Kenya's Communication Commission (CCK) says it will audit all radio and television frequencies this month to identify the idle ones, in a bid to reposess and redistribute to new applicants as the demand for licences soars in the country.

According to CCK's director general, Francis Wagusi, frequency holders who have not used their allocated spectrum in the last one year will have to surrender them.

“The licensees know the terms under which they are given the frequencies. They have to activate within one year. Those who have not will be notified,” he said.

Kenya's policy on allocation of frequencies is hinged on a first come first served basis, a move that has seen entrepreneurs with an interest in the lucrative media industry purchase the frequencies but not utilise them. This has meant that hundreds of new applications have been turned down because there is not much spectrum left to allocate.

“It is a very unfair practice which is costing the country a lot because there are investors willing to set up broadcasting shop but are still waiting for licences, while a few other investors acquired theirs ages ago but are letting them lie idle,” said Martha Watenga, a communications specialist.

Her remarks are corroborated by a 2012 study done on the broadcasting industry in Kenya by Deloitte which argued that the first come first served approach did not support effective use of the country's spectrum because it did not take into account broadcasters' business plans and audience demand.

Kenya currently has 30% of the total radio and 23% of TV frequencies not on air despite having been licensed.

Government-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation leads the pack of stations under utilising allocated radio spectrum with 10% of the 20% spectrum it has been allocated still idle.

Last month, the regulator pulled down about 6 illegal transmitters belonging to various Royal Media Service national and vernacular stations claiming the transmitters were operating without licences. The matter is in court.