The Media Council Kenya (MCK) has challenged the media to take accusations of prejudice coverage carefully as they are expected to be objective at all times.
Speaking during a Media Summit on Elections organised by MCK and the Katiba Institute yesterday, Chief Executive Officer of the Media Council David Omwoyo said it should be a source of concern for the media when their viewers complain about slanted coverage.
“The transparency and the trust in the election process are about access to information and the integrity of that information, it is either that or not,” Omwoyo said.
The commission’s head stated that the council should improve the media’s ability to know what questions to ask and who to ask while providing equal and fair coverage to all parties.
“Build the capacity of the media and other office holders so that then the people in the media can know who to ask and where to direct those questions,” he said.
This comes after Deputy President William Ruto’ voiced concerns noting that the campaign team about Nation Media Group’s newspaper and Royal Media Services (RMS), which owns Citizen Television, about a lack of balanced coverage.
Following accusations that they are favoring Azimio One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga, both stations assert they are not guilty of political coverage of presidential campaigns.
While RMS Chairman and Founder S.K Macharia has openly supported and campaigned for Odinga, the media station’s editorial management has stated that the choice has had no impact on the station’s internal journalistic practices.
The rule of law can only endure, according to Katiba Institute Executive Director Christine Nkonge, if there is a democratic government in which Kenyans may freely engage, supported by a free media.
“Rule of law can only survive when we have an open government, when we have respect for laws and human rights and when citizens have the ability to engage in the governance of their country through expression, through participation, and then when we have a free and supported media,” Nkonge stated.
The Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi’s Gunnar Holm expressed concern that the youth are unwilling to participate in the elections.
Kenya will have a general election on August 9 for the positions of president, governor, parliament, Senate, Women Representative, and County Assembly Representative.