Newspaper sales and readership in Kenya have been on a steep, continuous decline over the past 10 years as online publishing gains momentum and social media explosion.

The drop has been exacerbated by social media, which has given rise to citizen journalism. The result is historic lows as audiences rapidly shift to social media platforms.

The most recent data collected and collated by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) – a body that regulates the media in Kenya – show 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 between eight and 10 per cent respectively from 2021 figures.

The Daily Nation leads with 49 per cent readership followed by The Standard (18 per cent) and Taifa Leo with nine per cent. The remaining 24 per is shared by The Star, The People Daily and the alternative print media.

To dig deeper into the diminishing newspaper sales amid increasing social media outlets and adoption, we interviewed Micah Otieno Ochieng at his newsstand in Kisumu city.

Newspapers are still part of his display, although he also sells other items such as biro pens, 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 the source of his livelihood. “I started selling newspapers and magazines in 2004,” he says. “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 of 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 has steadily reduced demand for printed newspapers. Besides Covid-19 pandemic six years ago further disrupted businesses across the country and accelerated the shift to online information.

According to 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 Ksh150 and Ksh200, depending on sales. However, the amount is never guaranteed because business fluctuates from day to day.

“The newspaper business alone can no longer sustain us,” he explains.

The reading culture is also shifting as evidenced by the customers who still stop at his stand. Most are elderly customers 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 current deliveries which are much smaller bundles,” Otieno says.

“Nowadays, a vendor may receive only about 40 copies, and even selling half of them is difficult,” he says.

He points out that shifting 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 maximise 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 newspaper vendors in Kenya today. 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.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Mabel Keya-Shikuku  and Mary Auma