None other than His Earthquakeness the Owner of the Earth pulled himuselufu up to his full height to defend a news story last week. Oh yes, he did.
The media obviously doesn’t need validation from politicians or anyone. But it is not often that one hears a strong defence of muck racking from the wielders of power. The common practice is unwarranted censure of journalists and their work, shaming and intimidation.
The Nation on Wednesday, August 7 carried an exposé under the headline, “Scandal of MPs on a gravy train to the US”. Parliament would spend tens of millions of shillings to send 85 honourable members, MCAs and staff to some workshop in the US, the paper reported.
“Kenya is sending the largest delegation in the world to the National Conference of State Legislatures in Nashville, Tennessee, at a time when President Kenyatta’s administration is proposing cuts on foreign travel as part of austerity measures,” the Nation reported.
After the paper hit the streets, MPs hit the roof. The story was a lie, they said. The honourables castigated the Nation – and by extension all media houses – for portraying them in bad light. Some suggested reporters should be barred from Parliament and the media centre there closed.
That’s how MPs want to conduct their business – in the dark.
Agwambo came to the defence of the Nation. “In its lead story today, the Daily Nation highlighted the shameful case of Kenya’s Parliament and county assemblies sending a record delegation to a conference in Nashville, Tennessee, whose immediate relevance to taxpayers and even the lawmakers themselves is unknown,” he wrote.
“This afternoon, the National Assembly, in a rare show of unity and characteristic defensive show of anger, disowned the Nation story, threatened the media house and demanded an apology.”
Agwambo said the strange rage displayed by the lawmakers did not in anyway exonerate the House and its leadership but instead betrayed a collective sense of guilt.
“The information that the Daily Nation published is in the hands of several people, locally and abroad, who out of pain for our country, felt the need to put it out if that can help stop the culture of waste and living large at the expense of tax payers that has become the mode in our legislatures. I am one of those with whom this information was shared by a section of the very organisers of the conference.”
Ndio Baba!
And on Friday, August 9, Agwambo told the media summit organized by the Media Council of Kenya that the country sent 90 delegates to the US conference, and not 85 as initially reported.
Parliament threatening the media for exposing satanic greed is old hat. The media plays its watchdog role by keeping an unblinking eye on the exercise of public power.
When government fears the people, you have democracy. That is the goal of good journalism. But when the people fear government, you have tyranny. Kudos Nation! Thank you, Agwambo!
