Purpose, Roles and Practice: The Dynamics of Audiovisual Translation between English and Kimeru in Meru County, Kenya

Abstract

This paper explores the factors influencing audiovisual translation (AVT) from English into Kimeru in Meru County, Kenya. Vernacular media in Kenya depend heavily on English-originated content, yet the processes through which such content is rendered into Kimeru for broadcast and digital audiences remain under-documented. Moreover, Kimeru is underrepresented in AVT research. This study addresses these gaps by examining the organisational, professional, and communicative factors shaping English-to-Kimeru translation in vernacular media. It adopted a qualitative approach, case study design, and interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 practitioners from five television and radio stations (Meru TV, Weru TV, Weru FM, Baite TV, and Nyambene TV), including independent digital content creators; one focus group discussion involving ten participants; nonparticipant observations in newsrooms and production sites; and content analysis of six audiovisual texts, a parallel English-Kimeru bulletin script, and advertisement scripts. Findings reveal that translation is rarely a stand-alone activity but is integrated with scriptwriting and editing/presentation, with ten participants performing multiple roles. Independent pre-broadcast review was limited. News bulletins were the most translated genre, while voice-over was the most frequently reported mode. Four overlapping working approaches were adopted without standardised procedures. No platform had a common glossary, translation memory, or specialised AVT software. Content analysis identified selective retention of English elements, including names, official titles, and contact information. Skopos Theory explains most practices but not lexical gaps in Kimeru. The study recommends separating writing, translation, and review, developing standardised style guides and glossaries, strengthening practice-oriented training, and introducing qualitative and quantitative regulation.