Hussein Mohammed, the Director of Communications for Deputy President William Ruto’s campaign, has slammed Citizen TV for what he calls biased reporting.
Mohammed, a former Citizen TV anchor, claimed that Royal Media Services channels were being exploited as campaign mouthpieces for Raila Odinga, Ruto’s opponent.
He further claimed that The Daily Nation was being utilized to sway voters against the Democratic Party.
“We wish to highlight the notorious instance of runaway abuse of public bandwidth by Royal Media Services a licensee which has converted its platforms especially Citizen TV, Inooro TV and Inooro Radio to official campaign mouthpieces of the Azimio La Umoja. The Daily Nation complements these abuses by becoming their print counterpart.”
“We expect the media to play their rightful role in cultivating a healthy , robust and inclusive discourse. Our democracy depends on the media to make our political environment less divisive and less toxic,” he noted.
Statement on the Presidential Debate. pic.twitter.com/RbAI4MigTB
— Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) June 2, 2022
Due to perceived media biases against his candidate, DP Ruto will not participate in the upcoming Presidential Candidates debate slated for July 2022, according to the former television anchor.
“We have noted with much concern the repeated and continued bias and propaganda in a section of Kenya’s mainstream media in abuse of statutory terms of license and violations of constitutional freedoms.
“We note the unequal allocation of coverage, compounded by biased framing and negative profiling of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance campaign and personalities affiliated to it,” Hussein’s statement also read.
The Kenya Media Council, in partnership with the Kenya Media Owners Association and the Kenya Editors’ Guild, is hosting a presidential debate.
The Presidential Debate Secretariat is led by Clifford Machoka, Director of External Affairs and Marketing of Nation Media Group.
MCK Head of Research and Media Monitoring Leo Mutisya and Editor’s Guild CEO Rosalia Omungo help Machoka.
Here are some comments from Kenyans
Mohammed Hersi: My Bro Hussein I watch news and all parties are given equal coverage. I have even seen on several occasions where your candidate is given a slot ahead of Azimio and even the president. He has even been granted lengthy inteviews from the comfort of his home.
Gideon Barasa: Kazi ya opposition sio rahisi, sisi tuligoma hadi kupiga kura the second time, tukagomea safcom, hii yenyu ndio sasa ngoma imeanza
George Maghanga: Mambo Bado .hawa sioni kama wataeza hizo mbio na polisi ,only loyal suicidal supporters wababa ndio waliweza ruto watu wake niwa handouts
Soogum: We Kenyans don’t want presidential debate. Ruto has told us all he wanted since 2018, there will be no Knew message he will tell us. We have already decided Raila will be the 5th President. Ruto can have a debate with his running mate Rigathi Gachagua on how to stop corruption
William Mutama: So sugoi man had made you insult the finger that once fed you,I doubt any Kenyan would have recognized you were it not for ROYAL MEDIA SERVICES…..drop that man mapema mapema
DNgumi: Don’t be shallow,fed him for his services! its reciprocal! not for free,anyway a suit and tie is not a measure of wisdom