The Broadcasting Council has closed Mbale FM over its failure to pay the ten million shilling license fee.
Two officials from Broadcasting Council accompanied by policemen from Mbale Central Police Station stormed the station at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and turned off the radio's transmission equipment. The officials also confiscated the Mbale FM transmitter.
The chairperson of the Broadcasting Council, Godfrey Mutabazi, confirms the closure of the station. He says it was shut down because it was operating illegally by broadcasting without a valid license. Mutabazi says his office sent several reminders to Mbale FM, but the station failed to pay the license fee in time.
The proprietor of Mbale FM, Luke Haumba, was not available at the station and his phone has been switched off.
Mbale FM is located on the foot of Wanale Hill in Mbale town.
All community-based radio stations are required to pay an annual license fee of five million shillings, while commercial-based stations must pay 10 million shillings for a license.
