NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 4 – Capital FM yet again set itself apart from other media houses after scooping the best reproductive health prize in this year’s Kenya Media Network (KEMEP) awards.
Judy Kaberia won the award on reproductive health after featuring an exclusive story of a quack doctor who almost killed a young 16 year old girl.
Ms Kaberia said her story should go towards creating awareness of such doctors and to make the government crack down on them.
“What is the government doing to crack down on quacks? What are our parents’ roles? The government and NGOs have a long way to go in terms of providing family planning information to young people because as much as we keep telling them to abstain they are not. It’s important for them to offer youth friendly family planning centres,” she said.
She attributed her success to the tremendous support accorded to her by Capital FM and thanked the organizers of the event for the opportunity.
“It means a lot to me. Capital FM has given me space to use my time and exploit my talent and to do the best that I can. I also think that it’s good that Capital FM does not just focus on politics; we also focus on issues that affect the poor who have no one to listen to them,” she stated.
‘I would also like to thank KEMEP for the chance.”
Turkana Central Member of Parliament Ekwe Ethuro who is also a representative of the Parliamentarian Network on Population and Development asked other members of the media fraternity to put in more effort and to focus on population issues.
“The media should turn Kenya’s attention to issues that are important to Kenyans through quality journalism. I congratulate all those who won the awards and encourage those who did not win today to put in more effort and try next year,” he said.
Also in attendance was Industrialisation Assistant Minister Nderitu Muriithi who faulted the media saying that it sometimes paid too much attention on negative stories. He asked the media to focus on things that would develop the country.
“In my ministry I have Sh500 million to give to business people but I do not have customers. In Kenya today if you invest some money say you build a clinic for Sh1 million or more you get a certificate from government so that you do not pay tax until you recover your money. This is Kenyan law but nobody knows about that. Why? Because it is not me yelling at Hon Ekwe therefore it cannot make front page news,” he said.
“I applaud you for you efforts to ensure that the right things that will make a difference for this country are the things that you will turn our attention to.”
Others who attended were Gender Minister Esther Murugi, Chief Executive Officer National Coordinating Agency for Population Boniface K’Oyugi and Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) chairperson Naomi Wagereka.
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