Ministry cancels Energy Awards after boycott from KUJ, Editors’ Guild
The fourth edition of the Energy Journalism Excellence Awards (Ejea), slated for April 4, has been cancelled indefinitely.
Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau on Wednesday told the Nation that they called off gala on the advice of the Media Council of Kenya.
The move came hours after editors’ and journalists’ unions turned down invitation to be part of the celebrations at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.
The Editors’ Guild and Kenya Union of Journalists, which defend media freedom and independence, questioned the integrity of the awards given that Kenya Pipeline and several other sponsors are under active investigation over grand corruption.
ENERGY JOURNALISM
Mr Kamau said the organisers and sponsors did not see the rationale of proceeding with the event yet their guests, journalists, had backed out.
“If you invited a guest to have lunch in your house and the guest tells you he will not show up, do you proceed with the plan?” he said in a phone interview.
He said the event was meant for journalists and excellence in energy journalism.
CANCELLATION
“We did not come with these celebrations. It was the journalists’ idea. They said they wanted to learn more about energy so they could report more accurately. It seems they feel they have learned enough,” Mr Kamau said.
Media Council of Kenya Chairman David Omwoyo said they decided to call off the event organised by Kenya Pipeline to allow for consultations.
He said they would give a statement on the cancellation of the vent organized by Kenya Pipeline later in the day.