The planned Sh 65 billion Nairobi Expressway has been heavily opposed by Kenyans. How do we know this? From a report aired by NTV in its business segment on Thursday night, October 31.
Who exactly are the Kenyans opposed to the project and what did they have to say? Don’t worry. NTV knows and speaks for them. Viewers did not need to know the names of those critics, hear their voices or see their faces on the screen.
That’s funny journalism on an audio-visual medium.
The report said the expressway faced opposition over concerns about the amount of money motorists will pay to use the road and the expected net economic benefit.
The 27 km double-decker highway connecting Mlolongo to James Gichuru Road in Westlands will be built and maintained by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which will charge motorists Sh.11 per kilometre as toll fee, the NTV report said.
Reporter Victor Kiprop took up the story: “Ever since President Uhuru Kenyatta broke the ground for the construction of the road two weeks ago, the project has come under sharp criticism from Kenyans questioning not just the Sh 300 they will have to pay to use the road but also the plans to hive off parts of Uhuru Park to pave way for it.”
Next was a clip of Stanley Mwasi, head of the project, who said: “We have been very careful in our designs, trying to optimize everything and we are confident that there is no land that we will take from Uhuru Park.”
Kiprop resumed: “The road is expected to reduce the heavy traffic gridlocks along Mombasa Road by taking up to 30 per cent of the traffic. But with the Sh 32 billion Thika Road which was developed with nearly similar expectations experiencing even more terrible traffic, experts wonder if another expensive road is really what the city needs for its agonizing traffic jams.”
Who were the experts? What exactly did they say? Don’t worry. NTV knew them and spoke for them. No need to see their faces and hear their voices.
Then followed a clip of Infrastructure PS Paul Maringa: “The population is growing. Younger people like you are getting families and you are flooding people into the economy, so the reality is even nations like America continue to invest in infrastructure. You will never stop…”
Kiprop’s narration again: “There have also been fears that motorists will be forced to use the road in order to help CRBC recoup its investment in time.”
Who expressed the alleged fears, where, when, how? Don’t worry. It was enough to know that fears were expressed.
PS Maringa again. He denied motorists would be forced to use the expressway.
Kiprop concluded his story. “The Nairobi Expressway will be Kenya’s first major toll road project with previous attempts by the government to introduce toll stations on existing roads having been heavily opposed by Kenyans and lobby groups.”
This was a biased story. The only names, voices and faces allowed on the report were those of government officials. In fact, Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna appeared alongside project head Mwasi who denied the claims of alleged critics of the expressway.
Overall, in this story the government won against the nameless, faceless, voiceless critics the report referred to.
Of course the Nairobi Expressway has sparked intense public discussion over its suitability, relevance and value for money. If Kiprop and his editors could get the government side of the debate, why was it not possible to include the names, faces and voices of skeptics in the report?
NTV concealed and muted the critics, thereby making their concerns seem inconsequential against the firm and eloquent rebuttals of government the report privileged.
That was not good journalism, which favoured one side in a hotly contested public issue.
