MCK, KUJ, Kenya Editors Guild Condemn Raila Odinga’s Utterances
The Media Council of Kenya has told off Azimio La Umoja one Kenya Alliance Leader Raila Odinga over his remarks calling for the boycott of one product of Radio African Group.
Through its CEO David Omwoyo he said the move is to manipulate public opinion and limit freedom of the press which are both fundamental components of a healthy democracy.
He noted that such attacks undermine the freedom of the press and an attempt to undermine the role of the press in freely informing the electorates based on the editorial Judgment.
“Freedom of the press is an essential right that allows journalists to report on events, issues, and people without fear of censorship or repression. When political leaders ask people to boycott a national newspaper, they are essentially trying to undermine this freedom and to control the narrative in their favor,” Omwoyo says.
Omwoyo said that such utterances by a leading political figure put journalists who work at The Star Newspaper at risk as they may be attacked by the supporters of the political coalition.
The Kenya Union of Journalists Secretary General Eric Oduor that they were shocked beyond comfort by remarks made by Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga, calling for the boycott of Radio Africa Group products, mainly the Star newspaper.
Oduor says this is unfortunate, with the remarks coming from a leader who understands the importance of a free and independent press in promoting good governance and transparency in the public process, which he is fighting for.
The KUJ secretary General says the boycott call and derogatory remarks from Odinga do not only puncture the independence of the media but also put at risk the lives of journalists working with The Star newspaper who will soon become victims of assault by overzealous Azimio supporters all over the country.
“We call upon Mr. Odinga and Azimio La Umoja fraternity to respect the freedom of the media and use appropriate channels to file complaints if actions of journalists violate the Code of Conduct for Practice of Journalism in Kenya,” The KUJ Secretary-General says.
He noted that Odinga as a leader must desist from making a statement that will set up those working in a very difficult environment to check the government and all leaders holding various positions in the country for the common good of the Kenyan society.
The Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill Otieno says Odinga’s statement is an attack on the news media and a direct affront to media Freedom.
He says such an act would have the effect of exposing journalists to harm and in the process subvert democracy.
“We wish to remind Mr. Odinga that as an influential leader with a huge following in our country, his utterances are taken seriously and where they potentially affect the safety and security of journalists then they can become most unhelpful, Otieno says.
In the statement released today on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, following yesterday’s protest, the Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called on Kenyans to boycott Safaricom, Kenya Commercial Bank, and Radio Africa Group particularly The Star who he accuses of having become ‘enablers and facilitators of this brutal regime’.
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