Edible oil exposé: Media players call out CS Kuria over attack on NMG
The Media Owners Association of Kenya has condemned Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Commerce Moses Kuria for comments he made following an expose by the Nation Media Group implicating him in a cooking oil scandal.
Speaking at the Akorino Annual Convention in Embu on Sunday, Mr Kuria threatened to sack any government official who advertises with the group and then went on to insult journalists from the media house in unprintable words.
He said: “Nation Media, you must now decide whether you are a newspaper, a broadcaster, a media house or a political party. I have said from tomorrow, even from today, any government department that is found advertising in the Nation Media Group, consider yourself out (of government)”.
In a statement, Media Owners Association’s chairperson, Agnes Kalekye, said the threat to withdraw government advertising from the media house was tantamount to blackmail and aimed at undermining the media house’s coverage of government affairs.
“It is unfortunate that Mr Kuria has chosen to directly and publicly attack the Nation Media Group for fulfilling its role of holding government to account…. That Kuria has chosen to threaten the media with the withdrawal of state advertising… is clear and unequivocal blackmail, contrary to the legal provisions on state advertising and the Constitution, and is intended to force the Nation to change its coverage of important governance issues,” Kalekye said.
She added: “It is incumbent on Mr Kuria to understand that advertising by government and other state agencies is a legal obligation and not a favour granted at the behest of himself and other public officials. Kuria’s use of inflammatory language is not expected of a public official. This disrespectful and clearly inflammatory language disqualifies him from holding public office.”
The Nation Media Group has also condemned CS Kuria, saying that his remarks not only “declared a commercial war on the media house,” but also insulted Nation staff and the Group’s principal shareholder, His Highness the Aga Khan.
The Media house noted previous attacks by the CS, including discouraging the public from buying newspapers at the height of Covid-19, with the claim that it would prevent infections. The CS is also on record for berating a Nation journalist on live television when he served as Gatundu South Member of Parliament.
“The verbal attack using foul and crude language against NMG is shocking, primitive and inexcusable in the eyes of levelheaded Kenyans who expect Cabinet Secretaries to conduct themselves with decorum befitting their high offices. It constitutes a serious violation of Chapter Four bill of rights, particularly the freedom of the press. We note that the attacks on media have been sustained since the Kenya Kwanza government took office,” said Clifford Machoka, the Group’s Head of External Affairs.
“We would like to believe that Moses Kuria’s statement seeking to intimidate government agencies from placing advertisement with NMG does not represent government policy. We also wish to remind CS Kuria that he has no legal powers to make such a sweeping declaration. Such statements amount to pressure on civil servants that erodes the integrity of public debate, placing at risk, unfairly and directly, the media freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. No government should weaponise taxpayer’s funds at its disposal to punish media for exposing public ills in a bid to influence editorial integrity,” added Machoka.
While urging CS Kuria to file his complaints with Nation’s Public Editor or the Media Complaints Commission, Machoka reaffirmed Nation’s commitment to “relentlessly uphold media freedoms” and guard its role as a public watchdog.
“We demand an immediate apology and a retraction from CS Kuria. We call upon the courts, the general public, media organisations and the international community to reject, condemn and take stern, appropriate action against these attempts to abrogate the rights of Kenyans.President William Ruto should equally publicly state his commitment to media freedom and disassociate himself from the statements by Kuria and his ilk, which serve to tarnish his government’s image,” he said.
The CS was also called out by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), which described his comments as a threat to press freedom and a poor reflection on Kenya’s global image.
“The Council notes that this is the most extreme instance since independence where individuals have pushed media and government relations to the brink and lowered the dignity of the country. The conduct of the Cabinet Secretary falls below the threshold set out in Chapter Six of the Constitution of Kenya for public officers as well as Article 34 on media freedom as it amounts to profiling and targeting of specific journalists working for a media house,” said MCK Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo in a press statement.
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