Meru Governor Mwangaza warns ghost workers in the health sector to report for duty or face losing their pay (NTV, December 3). Ahem, Prezo has claimed his government is being sabotaged by pepo chafu. Scary. But did Governor Mwangaza order ghosts to “report for duty” or lose pay? How do ghosts work in Meru? What news was NTV reporting exactly?
How many schoolboys died in the Endarasha Academy fire in September? Nation (December 4, p.2): The audit followed the tragic fire that claimed the lives of 21 learners at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County two months ago. Star (December 4, p.16): The audit, conducted between August and September was prompted by the Endarasha Academy tragedy in which 18 children were killed in a night dorm fire in September. Facts are sacred. Numbers of persons killed in a tragedy are real human beings. You can’t be casual about that.
And, Lion Place scribes, how could an audit conducted between August and September have been prompted by a tragedy that occurred in September? Nation quoted Basic Education CS Belio Kipsang saying the assessment was carried out in September and October. Believable.
A new era where patients will walk to a health facility without a folder full of health documents dating several years back is quickly becoming a thing of the past (People Daily, December 3, p.2). Doesn’t make any sense. Boss, how is a new era of paperless hospital visits “quickly becoming a thing of the past”, again? What are you saying?
The cartels, working in cohort with corrupt officials at the Eldoret lands registry…(People Daily, December 3, p.3). Nah, those evil networks called cartels work “in cahoots with” corrupt officials, not “in cohort with” them.
Healthcare services are set to grind to a halt once again as doctors announced a second strike this year, leaving patients in desperate need of care to bear the brunt of unfulfilled promises by the Kenya Kwanza administration (Standard, December 6, p.2). Wordy. Aim for 25 words max in an intro. A doctors’ strike “leaving patients in desperate need of care” is obvious and doesn’t need to be stated.
In a strike notice, seen by The Standard… What’s the point of writing “seen by The Standard”? Avoid the cliché. Of course, your reader understands you must have seen the notice you are quoting, ama vipi?
Quiz: Which is the better headline and why? (10 marks) Development hit in 10 counties as governors focus on paying salaries (Standard, December 6, p.6). Ten governors spent zero on development (Star, December 6, p.1).
President William Ruto yesterday sustained an onslaught against those spreading news about the controversial Social Health Authority (SHA) equipment tender (Standard, December 6, p.12). Why would the President sustain an onslaught against people spreading news about SHA? What is wrong with that? Misreporting. Accuracy is the heart of journalism.
