99.7 FM: Radio Jambo in Kapenguria, Coro FM in Nakuru, Radio Kaya in Malindi

Radio Jambo on 99.7 FM

Radio Jambo is Radio Africa Group's Swahili station for a mass, national audience, known for football talk, comedy and conversation in plain everyday Kiswahili.

Radio Africa started the station in 2009. Music director James Njoroge has explained that the group spotted a gap for a large national Swahili brand that sounded different from KBC and Radio Citizen. From the start it went wide, with roughly 19 transmitters.

Sport came first. Early Radio Jambo leaned on Kenyan football and the big European leagues, then gradually opened up into a general station with strong appeal among working-class and lower-income listeners. By 2016 the brand had a spin-off with its own studios, Radio Jambo Turkana, and Radio Jambo was the only Radio Africa station running live news bulletins at the time.

Owner: Radio Africa Group

Where to hear it on FM: 97.5 FM Nairobi · 100.1 FM Kisumu · 92.3 FM Mombasa · 96.9 FM Nakuru · 99.5 FM Eldoret · 99.3 FM Nyeri · 97.3 FM Nyahururu · 95.3 FM Webuye · 92.7 FM Meru · 104.9 FM Kitui · 104.7 FM Kibwezi · 105.7 FM Voi · 98.1 FM Malindi · 104.7 FM Lamu · 97.3 FM Narok · 99.7 FM Kapenguria · 89.3 FM Kisii · 104.3 FM Garissa · 97.3 FM Maralal · 92.7 FM Lodwar

Times are Kenyan time (EAT).

Listen to Radio Jambo live · Full profile

Coro FM on 99.7 FM

Coro FM is the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation's Kikuyu-language station.

KBC launched Coro FM in December 2000. That puts it among the public broadcaster's earliest dedicated vernacular FM stations. It came as the airwaves were opening up, at a time when private Kikuyu stations such as Kameme FM and Inooro FM were winning big audiences.

Because it is a public service station, Coro FM carries a strong share of public information alongside entertainment. It sits inside a larger KBC radio family: Radio Taifa in Swahili and the English Service at national level, then regional stations including Pwani FM on the Coast, Kitwek FM in the Rift Valley, Minto FM in Kisii, Mwatu FM in Makueni, Ingo FM in Western and Ngemi FM in Embu.

Owner: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (state-owned)

Where to hear it on FM: 99.5 FM Nairobi · 102.3 FM Nyeri · 99.7 FM Nakuru

Listen to Coro FM live · Full profile

Radio Kaya on 99.7 FM

Radio Kaya is a Kwale-based station for the Coast, broadcasting mainly in Kiswahili with programmes in Mijikenda languages for listeners from Mombasa to Malindi.

The station was set up in July 2007 to meet the communication needs of coastal people, according to its website, with a focus on entertaining, educating and informing listeners about coastal culture. Its postal address is in Kwale, and its studios are reported to be on the Kwale to Kinango road.

Culture runs through the schedule. Weekdays open with Voroni Enehu in Mijikenda from 5am to 10am, then the youth show Kaya Flavaz until 1pm. Mirindimo ya Kimwambao brings taarab from 1pm to 4pm, Dziloni Mbidzo returns to Mijikenda programming until 7pm, and after the Swahili news at 7pm, Misakato ya Bango plays coastal jazz until 11pm. Chika-Chika carries rhumba through the night.

Where to hear it on FM: 93.1 FM Mombasa · 99.7 FM Malindi · 94.9 FM Kilifi · 94.9 FM Lunga Lunga

Times are Kenyan time (EAT).

Listen to Radio Kaya live · Full profile