The Media Council of Kenya(MCK) has said that the summon against the Royal Media Editorial leadership by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mr. George Kinoti is a threat to press freedom.
In a press statement, the council said that it has taken great exception to the summon issued against the editorial leadership of Royal Media by the DCI over the expose dated 18th April, 2021 with the titles “Silaha Mtaani” and “Guns Galore” broadcast on Citizen TV.
According to the Council, it recognizes the role of the DCI and expects that the process is geared towards investigating the matter and not violating freedom of expression, press freedom and access to information as provided in the Constitution in articles 33, 34, 35 and the Media Council Act 2013.
“In this case where the media has exposed weaknesses among some elements in the National Police Service, natural justice demands the same Service cannot then purport to investigate or otherwise summon the journalists. Instead, efforts should be put toward finding out how their members are providing civilians with guns, bullets, uniforms and handcuffs,” read the statement.
In addition to journalistic protection, the council added that when carrying out public duty as provided in the Constitution, the country is a signatory to and is bound by other international instruments including the Tswane Principles
on National Security and Freedom of Expression.
“If the DCI, or in fact the National Police Service feels aggrieved by the investigative piece, they are urged to file a complaint with the Media Complaints Commission which is legally mandated to handle such matters under section 27 of the Media Council Act 2013,” it stated.
Further, the council said that summoning journalists about their work or coercing them to reveal their sources is a violation of Press freedom and the Constitution.
DCI summoned journalists yesterday in a press conference following a Citizen TV exposé which showed criminals confessing to obtaining weapons, police uniforms, handcuffs, and vests from officers in order to commit crimes.
Kinoti dismissed the expose claiming that the AK-47 seen in the video was a Chinese-made replica, among other things.
Charles Mwongera, the directorate’s ballistic expert who was also present at the briefing, dismantled the assault rifle and determined it to be a replica, claiming that several of its parts were taken from different guns and did not correspond with its serial number.
“This gun is a copy of the Russian AK-47 made in China, its parts are also be from different guns as their serials do not correspond with the guns serial number,” he said.
At the same time, he said that the rifle’s modifications, such as the copper wire on the cleaning rod and decorative pins on the buttstock, were typical of rifles used by cattle rustlers in Northern Kenya.
He also discounted the Turkish-made pistol found during the exposé as a non-lethal firearm readily available at licensed gun shops and in the criminal world.
“We call this a baby pistol, you would normally find it in the criminal world, they have recently been on the increase, it is not a strong weapon,” Mwongera added.