NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 1 – Proposals by a section of Members of Parliament to have journalists kicked out from covering House proceedings over allegations of poor dress code and inadequate coverage have caused an uproar among Parliamentary Journalists.
Journalists led by Chairperson of the Kenyan Parliamentary Journalists Association (KPJA) Duncan Khaemba and Citizen TV’s Senior Political and Parliamentary Journalist Steve Letoo condemned the remarks saying they will not allow the rights of journalists to be infringed.
They vowed to continue with their role as the public watchdog without favour or fear of intimidation.
“What Members of Parliament and especially those in the National Assembly need to understand is that the media exists to serve primarily public interests. It is therefore unfortunate if they choose to attack the media probably because they feel they are not getting prominence in coverage,” Khaemba said.
“They also need to know that media houses are guided by editorial policies which at the end of the day dictate what will be published or aired.”
Letoo echoed his sentiments and said the Fourth Estate will not allow unfair treatment and biased laws meant to curtail the freedom of journalists from legislators.
“We have received the news of those MPS plotting to kick the media from parliament with utter shock. Members of the National Assembly and the Senate are there to oversight and we will keep them at check. We are not going to allow any move by members of Parliament or whomsoever trying to bring draconian laws into the media space in the country,” Letoo said.
Nation Media Group’s Planning Editor Roselyne Obala pointed out that the remarks by the MPs were regrettable pointing out that Journalists are aware of House Speaker’s rules on dress code and conduct and that should not be used as an excuse to fight media practitioners.
“We are calling on the MPS to allow journalists to play their role and they do theirs. Journalists know they are supposed to dress appropriately because they know what their job entails. Journalists know what makes news and what does not, and their job is not holding brief for any of the legislators. It is the public interest first and not interests of the MPs,” she said.
Speaking in Mombasa on Wednesday during the National Assembly Members Seminar, MPs led by Westlands legislator Timothy Wanyonyi, his Kitui South and Naivasha counterparts Rachel Nyamai and Jane Kihara, questioned the importance of having journalists at the Parliament accusing them of failure to cover important House business and being poorly dressed.
“Was it a good idea to have a media centre at Parliament and yet there is still misinformation coming from there? These journalists do not sometimes even sit there and follow proceedings,” Wanyonyi said.
Nyamai said, “And we have realized there seems to be a gap between the way Parliament conducts itself in terms of the way people dress and the big team of journalists that we have. Is there a way we can have a conversation so that they can up their game especially on the matters of how they appear?” Nyamai posed.
Other legislators who raised issues with journalists include Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie, Kathiani MP Robert Mbui and their Konoin counterpart Florence Jemutiah.
The seminar was also attended by the Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo who promised to ensure issues raised by MPs and the journalists will be adequately addressed.
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