The Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua has added his weight to the media shutdown being experienced in the country.
According to the CEO, the rogue main stream media should blame themselves for the shutdown.
He added that for a long time in Kenya, media have been acting as if they are a Government unto themselves.
“So media houses are going to court to have their airwaves reinstated? Well, it's their right to do so and they may actually get the orders. But suppose the Government withdraws advertisement from the media as well? Will the courts give them adverts? You see, for far too long we have had a rogue media in this country who behave like they are a Government unto themselves. The media defies regulation even their own Code of Ethics and airs obscene content against the Programming Code.” Wrote Ezekiel Mutua
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Mutua added that, Last year KFCB won a major case stopping media from advertising beer and betting adverts during the watershed but the media defied the orders.
“orders for something that the media know is a professional responsibility. The media houses have largely defied our content classification guidelines, the Programming Code and the Code of Ethics for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya. The licenses given to media houses are not personal. They are national assets given to them in public trust. They can’t use them to promote immorality, hate speech, propaganda for war or incitement to violence. The media must regulate themselves or the Government will. They are not above the law!" reads Mutua's post
Interior and Coordination Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i maintanined that all media houses will remain closed until further notice.
Speaking at Harambee House during a press conference, Mr Matiang'i divulged that they had launched investigations against members of the Fourth Estate allegedly working with the National Super Alliance (NASA) to cause mayhem during the swearing-in of Raila Odinga as People's President.
"The Government was and is aware of the role of some elements in the media fraternity who participated in furtherance of this illegal act. Their complicity would have led to thousands of deaths of innocent Kenyans due to the buildup of the incitement that was witnessed in early hours of the morning of 30 January 2018,” he said.