The Pain of Watching TV at Malaba

Teso

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

KNA by Absalom Namwalo

Whereas Television is regarded as a galaxy of information, laughter and joy, to the residents of Malaba and the surrounding areas it has become costly to enjoy this due to poor signals that stretches across the larger Teso region.

Without a satellite dish in Malaba and the entire Teso North constituency including most parts of Teso south, it would be pointless for one to own a television set as it will be reduced to a toy.

A survey conducted by KNA revealed that over 85% of homesteads in the area who own a TV set have a satellite dish not as an option but a must if one has to unlock the magic of entertainment. While the remaining 15% have an aerial though with poor signal connectivity.

Over 95% of homesteads in Malaba are connected to their channel of choice through satellite-dish including DSTV, Startime and Zuku even those in grass-thatched houses.

An exclusive interview with some residents from Changara and Malaba town is evidence that watching TV is costly as one must incur the cost of paying monthly or yearly subscription even to local channels.

Moses Emejong a resident of Malaba narrates how he is forced to close the TV or watch DJ Afro movies whenever he lacks cash to subscribe.

“Despite owning a TV most of the time I am forced to watch DJ Afro just for entertainment and ensure my television is active,” said Emojong.

Another major challenge faced here is the interference by Ugandan signals where one is found with the option of only TV channels from Uganda.

“Our neighbor Uganda has good signals at the border and most of the time we are forced to watch their TV channels. They have built a strong communication network here at the border that interferes with our waves,” he added.

According to Kelvin Gitau, an established electronic dealer at Malaba, in most cases, poor TV reception is a result of the frequency compatibility and broadcast location. In order to improve your reception on a TV antenna, your aerial must be capable of receiving digital frequencies at sufficient strength.

Gitau challenges residents to seek advice on the signal strength before buying the satellite dish or aerial of choice.

“Some companies' network can’t be felt completely here at Malaba and surrounding areas, therefore one must seek advice from experts before buying decoders to avoid paying for what won’t work,” noted Gitau.

However, with the presence of smart phones and the internet, residents are resorting to watching the channel of choice via YouTube though this is limited based on digital literacy.

Maxwell Ekiring has urged the Cabinet secretary of Information Eliud Owalo to prioritize towns in Teso North and South in the creation of public Wi-Fi to enable most youths carry out their activities without interference.

“I urge the CS Owalo to give Teso North and South Sub Counties first priority on connectivity of public Wi-Fi, Malaba town is the busiest town with clearing and forwarding activities 24/7, also the presence of over 5 tertiary colleges and Alupe University should be a factor to consider,” said Ekiring.

The residents here are now appealing to the Communication Authority of Kenya and private investors to invest in the border town to enable them to get entertainment.

Courtesy ; K. N. A