The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has called out State House after Standard Media Group journalists were denied access to the premises on Saturday, May 31, during the visit of Slovenian President Nataša Pire Musat.
In a statement dated Sunday, June 1, the regulatory authority expressed that the move amounted to intimidation and economic sabotage to the media house.
According to MCK, the journalists' names were missing from the list of accredited journalists allowed at State House.
Additionally, attempts to reach out to officials at State House over the incident proved futile.
Therefore, the regulator demanded that all accredited journalists be granted access to state events.
Read More
"It is unacceptable that accredited journalists must beg for access to cover state events. Such gatekeeping and intimidation not only instil fear but also constitute economic sabotage in an era of competitive media content creation.
"Furthermore, these actions restrict the diversity of opinions and perspectives on critical issues," the regulator noted in its statement.
On the other hand, MCK called on State House and the media house to undertake reconciliatory initiatives to resolve any differences that may exist.
The state and Standard Media Group have in recent days differed following news headlines that have been critical of the government.
On their part, State House officials have accused the media organisation of spreading fake news and being unethical in their reporting.
Equally, MCK raised concern over rising cases of attacks directed at journalists at state events, with the Madaraka Day celebrations a case in point.
As a result, the regulator called on the government to ensure journalists' safety during such events
"At Raila Odinga Stadium, Royal Media Services (RMS) journalist Ephantus Maina, Nation Media Group (NMG) producer Mable Achieng, TV47 camera operator Francis Kakai, and journalist Elizabeth Mutuku were reportedly assaulted by security officers at the entrance, despite displaying valid media identification badges."
"Some journalists required medical attention from Red Cross staff for various injuries. Additionally, several journalists lost equipment and personal items, such as phones and laptops, to opportunists during the event. Media personnel were forced to plead for entry to the stadium and were not guaranteed a safe exit after the event concluded," read the report in part.
