Kenya:Media Stakeholders Fume After Trade Cabinet Secretary Attacks Local Media

By Samuel Ouma

Media Stakeholders in Kenya have called out Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria over his attack on Nation Media Group (NMG).

In his remarks, both on video and text on Sunday, the CS threatens public officers against advertising on NMG platforms, saying anyone found liable will face the consequences.

Kuria also used unprintable language to disparage NMG staff in a tweet that same day, a reaction that elicited mixed uproar from Kenyans.

Kuria appeared to be reacting to a weekend exposé by NMG that detailed an alleged ministry-led oil scandal.

The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) has criticised Kuria's derogatory remarks, stating that the media serves as the country's watchdog and that if any Kenyan is dissatisfied with its actions, they should follow the process to address it.

“If a State Officer or any Kenyan for that matter, is aggrieved by the work of the media, they have an array of avenues to raise them, including pursuing the legal route or reaching out to the media entity concerned,” stated KEG in a statement.

The Cabinet Secretary's comments also attracted criticism from the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ), who said that Kuria is now becoming a symbol of national shame.

“We would wish to remind Mr Kuria that he is now a Cabinet Secretary whose actions and utterances should promote a positive image of Kenya as a nation, in line with tenets of leadership and integrity law.

His reactions to media reports regarding one of the many scandals that have hit Kenya Kwanza administration within a span of 10 months are not only an embarrassment to Kenyans but a confirmation that his stomach is full and can belch and eventually vomit on the shoes of hungry Kenyans with impunity,” said KUJ in a statement signed by its Secretary General Erick Oduor.

According to the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), the attacks against journalists threaten press freedom and soil Kenya's global image.

MCK said Kuria's conduct falls below the threshold set out in Chapter Six of the Kenyan Constitution for state officers and Article 34 on media freedom since they amount to profiling and targeting specific journalists working for a media house.

"Disagreements and misunderstandings are the hallmark of a democracy. While we appreciate the government's concerns about perceived negative coverage in the media, it is important that the media receives a coherent and consistent narrative from the State to enable a balanced coverage of government initiatives," said MCK.

“As a democracy, we must appreciate the watchdog role of the media to hold government and those in power to account This will mostly be perceived as an attack and may make certain people uncomfortable . Public officials have a duty to provide timely and accurate information to ensure an informed public,” added MCK.

According to the council, it urgently engages government and media partners to address the interaction between government and media to maintain media freedom, ensure factual coverage of public affairs, and properly manage concerns when they emerge.