The sudden collapse of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s much-hyped interview with journalists from Northern Kenya has sparked whispers of a botched cash-for-silence arrangement, leaving several media figures reportedly embarrassed and unpaid.
According to circulating accounts, a group of journalists allegedly negotiated a Sh1.5 million payoff to boycott the interview.
They reportedly received Sh200,000 upfront as a “commitment fee,” with the balance promised upon the successful cancellation of the session. However, Gachagua’s team went ahead with a Plan B, and the interview proceeded regardless.
One journalist from Upper Eastern Kenya, seemingly unaware of the deal, arrived ready to participate, only to be ordered out after calls from politicians and station owners.
Meanwhile, the journalists who had agreed to the boycott are said to be scrambling to collect the remaining Sh1.3 million, with calls reportedly going unanswered.
Insiders have likened the debacle to invoicing for a building that was never constructed — a political twist on a failed contract.
The episode has become a talking point across WhatsApp groups and newsrooms, highlighting the increasingly fraught intersection of politics, money, and media.
If confirmed, the allegations would constitute a serious breach of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism, which prohibits journalists from accepting bribes, inducements, or any form of gratification that could compromise editorial independence, accuracy, and the public interest.
The Code requires journalists to maintain integrity, avoid conflicts of interest, and resist political or financial influence in the course of their work.
For now, the story stands as a cautionary tale: an interview that refused to die, a deal that collapsed, and a reminder of the ethical obligations that underpin journalism in Kenya.
