By Lucy Mwangi and Jacob Nyukuri
During the June 19–25 week, topics that spurred conversations online included #KenyaEUTradeTies, #SyokimauRobbery, Sakaja, Lies Hamilton, #WRCSafariRally2023, 184 MPs, Titanic & #OceanGate, DJ Evolve and Moses Kuria and Nation Media. Moses Kuria and Nation Media topped online and offline conversations.
On June 19, Trade CS Moses Kuria trended for most of the day after a video clip emerged of him threatening to fire any government employee who would advertise with the Nation Media Group. He made the remarks during the Akorino annual convention in Embu County. Kuria escalated the war by accusing NMG of being “an opposition party” in an inappropriate tweet.
The CS was responding to an exposé on oil scandal by NTV that implicated him and his ministry. The media industry condemned the remarks by the CS as total infringement on media freedom and a threat to the survival of media houses.
How media covered
In response to CS Kuria’s derogatory remarks, the Media Council of Kenya, Kenya Union of Journalists, Media Owners Assocation, and the Kenya Editors’ Guild, among others, issued public statements condemning Kuria’s remarks and emphasizing the importance of a free and independent press, as well as defending the professionalism and dedication of journalists, emphasizing the commitment to pursuing the truth regardless of any attempts to undermine or discredit the media’s work.
Press statement – MCK, Press statement – KEG, Press statement – KUJ and Press statement – AMWIK
Daybreak on Citizen TV on June 20, 2023, analysis of the greater implications for press freedom, public trust, and the obligations of those in power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRwcGVDMDM
The incident gained extensive coverage in the media, with news outlets reporting on the minister’s derogatory remarks and the subsequent reactions from media organizations and journalists.
Impact on the media
- The derogatory statement by CS Kuria raise concerns about freedom of the press and journalists’ capacity to carry out their duties without hindrance or intimidation.
2. Kuria’s comment could erode public trust in the media, leading to scepticism about the accuracy and reliability of media reports, as insulting journalists in this manner could be interpreted as an attempt to divert attention away from the real issues at hand and discredit the journalists’ findings.
Incidents of misinformation
- A video posted on Twitter of an aircraft purportedly arriving at Homa Bay county’s airport was misleading. The airplane landing on a dirt runway was not from Homa Bay, but rather a Douglas Commercial Model Number 6 (DC-6) being ferried to her new home north of Pretoria, South Africa, in December 2010.A reverse search reveals that the footage of the plane was first uploaded on Mr de Beer’s YouTube account on December 6, 2010. The Media Observer team also discovered information on the DC-6, which was shared on the website of The Douglas DC-6 Association of South Africa, stating that the plane departed Swartkop Air Force base on December 4, 2010 at 07:13 and landed at 07:50 in Pretoria, and is owned by Witold Walus and Willie Muntingh of Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers.
- A tweet claiming that Bata Shoe Company management has informed its employees that the company will be closing down was false. According to the tweet posted on June 10, 2023, the management instructed staff not to show up to work on Monday, June 12. That day the Media Observer team received a clarification from the shoemaker that the company is still in operation. Managing director Benson Okumu said the company was undergoing annual maintenance, not closing as widely speculated.
- A tweet alleging that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was admitted to the intensive care unit due to his deteriorating health was false. The Media Observer team contacted Ugandan journalists, who denied the President had been hospitalised. President Museveni himself denied reports that he was taken to the ICU in a tweet on June 13, 2023. Since he was diagnosed with Covid-19 on June 7 he had never set foot in the ICU, he said.
