The Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) was established in 1961 and was named as the then Voice of Kenya Training School. Its main purpose was to train electronic engineering and technicians for the then, Kenya Broadcasting Service (KBS), that was later rebranded in 1962 as the Kenya Broadc… read moreasting Corporation (KBC). KBC was then nationalized in 1964, and changed its brand to Voice of Kenya (VOK).
Nationalization occasioned the departure of expatriates who worked at the broadcaster, creating an urgent need for qualified manpower to fill the vacant positions. In 1965, the new Voice of Kenya acquired a grant to start what became to be known as the Voice of Kenya Training School. The institution was also to serve the Ministry of Information which equally lacked qualified journalists, program producers, announcers and other cadre relevant in the field of mass communication.
Training programs started from a humble wooden structure near the Kenyatta National Hospital. During the 1967/68 financial year the institute was funded to construct mass Media Communication Training institute in South – B Area (Mariakani) and the Institute named Kenya Institute of Mass Communication. Construction work commenced in October, 1967 and the first batch of trainees was transferred from the VOK Training School in November, 1968 to complete their studies at the new institute.
Since then, KIMC has witnessed considerable expansion and diversification in its training programs. In addition to the engineering courses, radio and television production courses were introduced in 1969, followed by print journalism training in 1970, and film production courses in1975. KIMC has grown into one of the most respected institutions of its kind in Africa admitting students not only from Kenya but also from several African countries. Over the years, the institute has trained students from countries such as Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda among others.
The institute is now equipped with modern facilities for training in the fields of electronic and telecommunication engineering, film production, radio and television production, print and broadcast journalism, electronic and studio technology.As the ICT sector grows, it has become necessary for the media training institutions to develop new programs as well as expand the existing ones to produce graduates with the media market desired skills to satisfy the increasing demand for middle level media personnel. The training of media middle level personnel is supported by the government through funding of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.
To ensure that the institute keeps abreast with Media Market and personnel training requirements, the government in 2011, transformed KIMC into a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency (SAGA) under Legal Notice No. 197 of 2011 with a mandate to offer training in communication and the cinematic arts.
OUR CORE VALUES
• Professionalism.
• Responsible citizenship.
• Integrity.
• Fairness.
• Transparency.
• Objectivity and balance.
OUR VISION
Become a centre of excellence in professional mass media training in the region.