Sports-starved Kenyans will not be watching the 2008 African Cup of Nations live from Ghana after the national broadcaster failed to acquire the television rights, an official said.
Many national sporting events were either postponed or cancelled in the last three weeks following riots over last month's disputed presidental elections which saw the incumbent Mwai Kibaki being re-elected.
The decision by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) not to air the matches -- which started Sunday -- due to the high costs of transmission hits hard on the many fans who live in the countryside and have been kept indoors since the December 27 disputed poll.
KBC marketing chief Waithera Munyoro said the company could not afford to pay the 54 million shillings (430,000 dollars) demanded by the Benin-based LC 2 channel.
"The amount being demanded is too exhorbitant for us to meet and the company is not willing to negotiate," said Munyoro.
The only consolation for most Kenyans is KBC sent radio commentators to Ghana to keep them abreast with the two-week extravaganza.