Residents of the proposed Yei River State, which includes Yei, Morobo, Lainya and Kajo-Keji counties have expressed frustration over the lack of news and programming on FM radio, saying that UN Radio Miraya has been off-air and other stations have weak signals or uninteresting programming.

The popular Radio Miraya has been off in the area for the last one month, residents in the area told Radio Tamazuj.

Joseph Lotigo, a resident from Yei River County, said, “For the last one month, we are staying like people locked in a prison with no access to timely and quality news and the widely liked programs, for example, the breakfast show and the inside South Sudan, which provide information to the people.”

Meanwhile, a resident of Kajo-Keji County, Betty Daku, said they really lacked access to information in the county so much that they have resorted to listening to FMs from the neighbouring Uganda, which broadcast mostly about what is happening in Uganda.

“We don’t have access to Radio Miraya for nearly four weeks. In Kajo-Keji today we have low sound information from Eye Radio whose sound coverage is not even clear and for the last many weeks we have resorted to listening to Arua One FM, Radio Pachase, Faida FM and the Nile FM which mostly broadcast Ugandan news and programs with less on South Sudan,” she complained.

In Lainya County, Manase Duku said he has resorted to using radio cassettes and recorded songs played on radio cassettes.

“We have gone back to those days of using cassette radio players instead of listening to an FM Radio rich in information,” he said.

A resident in Morobo County called Moro said they cannot afford to listen and access information through the internet but are listening to off and on local radio stations broadcasting from Yei and Morobo counties.

In Yei town, Peter Boboya has called on the management of Radio Miraya to install more transmitters in the counties so that people can access information.

“We are now in darkness. We really call on Radio Miraya and other FM stations like Eye Radio to extend their services to the area. Most of the people in Yei don’t have timely information about what is happening around the country,” he concluded.

For its part, Radio Miraya has not yet shared a map of its coverage area requested by Radio Tamazuj. But earlier the station had posted notice online that it is undertaking maintenance in Yei.

Meanwhile, Radio Tamazuj and Eye Radio are accessible on shortwave in all parts of the proposed Yei River State, but many listeners are unaware of the frequencies of these stations.