Nairobi News

2013 presidential aspirant Mwalimu Abduba Dida had no words to mince for the Kenyan media fraternity when he told them off for hiring broadcast journalists based on their looks.

He said this on November 18, 2022, as he claimed the media was very petty and lacked objectivity.

“Kenyan media is very petty and lack objectivity. If the President made an important speech and then called a random person ngulusumu at the end, our media would report the ngulusumu part, ignoring everything else. When you employ people based on looks, a lot goes wrong,” said Mwalimu Dida.

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Mwalimu Dida’s sentiments come on the heels of President William Ruto hosting Regional Police Commanders at State House Nairobi on November 17, 2022. At the meeting, President Ruto told the police to keep off politics and be fair to all while discharging their duties.

A statement from the State House said that the President asked the Commanders to serve all Kenyans fairly regardless of their political and tribal affiliations- telling them to be professional, independent, and accountable while protecting Kenyans.

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At the end of the meeting, the President and the Commanders stepped outside of State House for photo opportunities with the media and when they were done, President Ruto invited the Commanders to a cup of chai (tea) to ward off the chilly Nairobi weather.

“Mimi nimeshukuru sana jameni. Na msiondoke kabla hamjakunywa chai… chai ile ya kikombe (I’m very grateful. Please don’t leave before taking tea… but I mean a cup of tea),” the President said amid laughter from his distinguished guests.

Chai, in local Swahili slang, is a word used to mean bribe.

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This was especially the phrase the mainstream and online media picked as Kenya’s police are ranked as one of the most corrupt institutions in Kenya for their penchant to ask for bribes to either discharge their duties or let someone who committed an offense such as a traffic one go without having to face the consequences.

Dida’s sentiments resonated with some of his tweeps, who agreed that the media often goes for beautiful/handsome on-air talent with polished accents.

One thing that should be understood, however, is that for the media fraternity, when a dog bites a man, that is not news, but if the man bites the dog, that is news- regardless of the reporter’s looks and accent.

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