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Royal Media Services (RMS) Group Editorial Director Linus Kaikai on Tuesday, February 21, revealed the intricate reason for defying the order given by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) for media houses to provide evidence of former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i’s first raid.
Speaking during the launch of the report on The State of Press Freedom in Kenya, Kaikai noted that media houses are obligated to protect their sources and hence they could not provide the evidence.
He criticised the council for placing them in a precarious spot especially owing to the Media Code and Ethics.
Citizen TV Director of innovation and Strategy Linus Kaikai on November 15, 2019.
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The journalist termed the orders issued by the council as unfair and undermining the practice of journalism.
“We were put in a very awkward space by the Media Council of Kenya a week ago when they told media houses to explain or give details about Matiang’i’s first raid. Now they are two,” he stated much to the applause of the audience.
“Our rules do not change, we do not reveal sources and I think even the media council knows. Those of them that sit there and have a journalistic background know that those letters that they sent are unfair, almost detached from the practice of journalism. We are not about to start telling them who called or who said what,” he added.
According to the Media Council Act 2013 titled Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya, sub-article 7, a journalist has a professional obligation to protect confidential sources of information.
As a member of the Kenya Editors Guild, Kaikai advocated for the Kenya Media Sector Working Group (KMSWG) to engage the relevant government ministries to harmonise laws based on journalism.
He also pointed out that physical threats to journalists were an issue that needed to be looked into while highlighting the case of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.
In addition, he noted that the profiling of unemployed journalists ought to stop.
“Internal threats are the greatest to media. Quacks are not the main threat, they do not have a platform. Internal threats must be dealt with,” he stated.
Media Council Of Kenya CEO, David Omwoyo addressing a gathering at the International Day to End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists in Nairobi.
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