The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) criticized news organizations for failing to uphold the accountability standard when they reported the alleged raid on the residence of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi.
MCK CEO David Omwoyo made the declaration on Monday after the mainstream media, which covered the event, could not provide any images or video of the raid that security forces had denied taking place.
The suspected forcible entry into Matiangi's Karen home on February 9 was the subject of a request from MCK to media outlets on February 11, 2023.
Sadly, none of the 26 news pieces about the event captured by the MCK media monitoring system showed either Dr. [Matiang'i], his home, or even the purported security officials. The media haven't offered any images or videos, according to Omwoyo.
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MCK claims the mainstream media should have apologized to defend the media's credibility from the widespread public criticism of the allegedly manipulated coverage of the raid.
A Danger To Democracy
Omwoyo argued that the mainstream media had broken the Rule of Conduct by failing to apologize for "misleading" the public about the circumstance.
MCK criticized the position as being a danger to democracy.
Omwoyo criticized the media for "rejecting accountability" about the claimed raid, claiming that the situation jeopardized the media's reputation.
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According to Omwoyo, the media "becomes a threat to democracy and press freedom by disregarding their own Code of Conduct and disliking any kind of peer review or accepted rules and procedures." Instead, the media has become impunity agents who defy any accountability".
The Council declared its dedication to zealously upholding press freedom.
The public interest and citizen exposure to false media information are being protected, not press freedom, MCK reiterated, adding that it is not a threat to press release to get a reminder of your ethical responsibilities and professional commitment to upholding the code of ethics.
Staged
There is no proof by the police officers, Matiangi, or his attorney to reveal the actual circumstances surrounding the incident on February 9, 2023.
There were also inquiries as to why there were no photos or videos of the occurrence.
Likewise, the news teams that sped to Matiangi's house did not record or photograph the purported deployment of elite police officers.
Interior Ministry Secretary Kithure Kindiki denied allegations that security forces searched the residence of his predecessor, a vocal supporter of night raids while in office.
He labelled statements made by Matiangi's attorneys as untrue.
The Interior CS rejected claims that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and the National Police Service (NPS) may have conducted a home search at the time, claiming that no law enforcement agency has the orders to follow Matiangi.
