BAMBA runs into high voltage headwinds

 @danmuhuni

Digital TV platform Bamba TV is scrambling to save its business amid widespread protest from agents and customers over malfunctioning of its decoders.

Some of their top agents, on Wednesday confirmed having returned 1000 and 400 decoders respectively.

The problem would seem to be the decoders voltage specification which is set at 5V rather than 12V.

This means that whenever an agent/trader tests using a 12-vold adaptor, the decoder blows.

Currently, Bamba TV is taking back decoders for software upgrades and promising consumers and agents that the process will take ‘2 weeks’.

The problem first became apparent a few weeks ago when Nakumatt’s management ordered its branch managers to withdraw the decoders from its shelves after receiving numerous complaints from dissatisfied customers.

"There has been several and numerous customer complaints on Bamba...because their decoder has a voltage of 5 instead of 12," Operations Coordinator Wilfred Kimani said in a letter to managers.

"Am therefore urging all to withdraw these decoders from the Shelves with immediate effect. Radio Africa will pick them up and replace with those that [sic] has Voltage of 12."

Daniel Gachanga, 32, of Kikuyu said he took his decoder back to the supermarket he bought it from when it experienced problems.

“At first I thought it was because of the power outages happening due to the rains,” Gachanga said.

“But the guys at the supermarket told me there were many complaints about Bamba. They are telling us to wait but I want my money back.”

Bamba TV is ran by Lancia Digital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Radio Africa Group.

It runs on a tier-2 broadcast signal distribution license issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

CA when queried said it was not aware of the problem with the Bamba TV decoders raising questions as to the thoroughness of its Type-approval process.