Show us proof of raid on Matiangi’s home, MCK now tells media houses
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has asked several media houses in the country to provide proof of the alleged raid on the home of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i that was widely reported to have happened on Wednesday night.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, and signed by the council’s Chief Executive Officer, David Omwoyo, MCK said it has written to the media houses in question about the same.
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“While carrying our monitoring function on the evening of February 8, 2023, the MCK came across your station’s coverage of the police raid. We request you to provide the council with actual footage collected by your crew at the scene and the identity of the editors/reports who were sent there,” the press release quoted MCK’s letter to Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and the Standard Group.
The council has further pointed out that the non-availability of photographs, or videos taken from the alleged raid presents a serious moral and ethical dilemma for the media.
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“The council is concerned by the refusal by the media to provide actual footage or photos from such a highly-publicized event yet they were at the scene,” MCK said, adding that merely providing statements by lawyers allied to Dr Matiang’i and denials by the government is creating confusion over the matter.
The Media Council also said it will decide the next course of action after the media houses respond to the information request.
Reports of the alleged raid broke out after 9pm on Wednesday. However, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin and the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome have since said no such raid occurred while accusing Matiang’i of stage-managing the whole thing.
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How Matiang’i played cat-and-mouse with authorities in late night raid