Linda Mwananchi Addresses Claims of Calling for Local Radio Station Boycott

The Linda Mwananchi Movement has distanced itself from a social media post calling on its supporters to boycott Radio 47.

In a statement on Thursday, October 29, Linda Mwananchi Head of Communications Pauline Njoroge clarified that the Facebook page that published the statement was not affiliated with the movement.

Join our WhatsApp Channel for the latest news updates.

"Please note that this is not our page, and its content does not represent the positions of the Linda Mwananchi Movement," she wrote.

Njoroge identified the movement’s official Facebook page as the one with 106,000 followers and urged supporters to distinguish it from the account that published the boycott message.

"Our official page is Linda Mwananchi (the one with 106k followers). The fake page has the word LINDA in capital letters. We are working on verification," she added.

The clarification follows the circulation of a post purporting to be an announcement to Linda Mwananchi supporters, urging them to boycott Radio 47 and avoid what it described as biased media coverage.

The post accused the station’s presenters, producers and guests of being biased and unprofessional, alleging that their conduct showed disrespect towards the opposition.

It further claimed that the station’s coverage undermined Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other opposition leaders, while accusing the media outlet of supporting impunity and undemocratic processes.

This comes a week after Njoroge hit out at critics of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna following his meeting with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

In a statement on Wednesday, October 21, Njoroge questioned the motives of bloggers who criticised Sifuna for meeting Gachagua, arguing that some of those expressing disappointment with the senator continued to support President William Ruto despite controversies surrounding his administration's handling of protests.

She defended Sifuna's decision to meet Gachagua, challenging his critics to explain why the engagement offended them while they remained supportive of the President.

"I see broadbased bloggers declaring, 'I have lost all respect for Sifuna because he met Rigathi Gachagua.' Since when did you support Sifuna? 

"You support William Ruto, under whose administration young Kenyans were abducted, maimed and killed, yet you want us to believe that Sifuna meeting Gachagua is what offends your conscience?" she posed.

Njoroge also recalled Gachagua's actions when he served as Deputy President, arguing that he publicly condemned the treatment of young Kenyans during protests, despite currently facing criticism from individuals who oppose his meeting with Sifuna.

"When our young people were being brutalized, Gachagua who was the Deputy President held a press conference in Mombasa and publicly condemned what was happening. You cannot conveniently erase that while defending the administration under which those atrocities occurred," she added.

Njoroge further pointed to the 2024 Finance Bill protests as a defining moment in Kenya's political landscape, arguing that the positions taken by Ruto and Gachagua during that period should inform how Kenyans assess their political records.

"I keep saying that the bell rang in 2024. That is where we drew the line. Wasn’t it Ruto who pushed the Finance Bill, while Gachagua opposed it? Who defended the brutality unleashed on our young people, and who spoke out against it?" she questioned.

Njoroge also addressed criticism surrounding the legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, questioning whether Gachagua's past remarks and attacks against the veteran opposition leader could be compared to those made by Ruto.

She argued that critics should examine the history of political disagreements involving both Ruto and Gachagua instead of singling out the former Deputy President over his meeting with Sifuna.

"Also, on the issue of Baba, does Gachagua even come close to Ruto in the attacks and insults directed at Baba, even as late as 2023, beyond the issue of kuweka mitego State House?" she asked.

Njoroge accused critics of applying different standards to political figures, arguing that support for Ruto was inconsistent with condemning Sifuna for engaging Gachagua.

"Spare us the selective outrage. You cannot support Ruto, who continues to defy our Constitution, the very thing Baba stood for, you cannot continue to support Ruto, whose administration has overseen the killing, maiming and abduction of Kenyans, while acting as though meeting Gachagua is an unforgivable offence," she concluded.