Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance has fired at the media over the coverage of the coalition’s campaign rallies.
In a press briefing on Friday, July 15, Ruto's Head of Communications Hussein Mohamed said that it was not a must for the media to cover Kenya Kwanza’s activities.
However, Hussein said that the political faction’s activities were public information and the media should tell the audience what it is engaged in.
“We are asking our colleagues and especially the media companies and owners that we’re not saying that you must cover us. We’re saying that this is public information and you’re doing this for the public good.
“If you have decided to give one side more coverage then please tell the viewers what you’re doing than trying to say you’re objective and you’re not,” Hussein told the press.
The remarks come after the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) in a report said that most journalists feel safer and more comfortable working with the Azimio la Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga than Ruto.
"Most journalists feel safer and more comfortable working with Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja Coalition than with Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza. A survey by the Media Council to gauge the perception of media and journalists towards the presidential candidates indicates 49 percent feel safer working with Raila while Ruto received 31 percent backing,” MCK said in a statement.
However, Ruto’s presidential secretariat on Friday fired back at the MCK saying that they wanted objectivity by the council.
“What you (MCK) are supposed to do is ensure compliance to the laws and we know what the law says about public information to be aired by a journalist or public entity or the media and it ahs to be fair and accurate,” Hussein said.
