‘Media houses were mobilizing protesters,’ Murkomen defends shutting down TV stations

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has accused a section of the media of fueling unrest during Wednesday’s Gen Z-led protests, claiming they played a central role in mobilising demonstrators under the guise of live coverage.

Speaking at Harambee House on Thursday, a day after Kenyans took to the streets to mark the tragic events of June 25, 2024, Murkomen defended the government’s decision to disrupt live broadcasting during the demonstrations, arguing it was a necessary precaution to safeguard national security.

He said that while the right to media freedom is guaranteed, some broadcasters overstepped their role to rally demonstrators rather than providing objective coverage.

“There is nothing wrong with live broadcast per se, because we have freedom of the media in this country. Our biggest problem with live broadcasting, having watched a number of media stations yesterday, is the idea that media becomes the centre of mobilisation for some of these protesters,” said the CS.

Murkomen alleged that reporters were not just covering the events but were actively prompting and encouraging citizens to join protests through real-time coverage and street interviews.

“In fact, most media houses are working hard during the onset of protests to tell people... ‘oh yeah, wengine wamekuja sasa tayari ndio hawa.’ They interview people on the streets, telling them, ‘What do you tell those who are still at home?’ They are participating directly in mobilising people to come,” he stated.

The CS went further to allege that some stations were giving directions to protesters on routes leading towards key government installations such as the State House.

“What was even of greater concern is that some of the media stations were directing protestors, saying now they are on Thika Road, as soon as they converge with the ones on Kiambu Road, the possibility is that they will pass through the Museum, and the State House will be very near. That is very irresponsible journalism,” he said.

Murkomen also took a swipe at The Standard newspaper, accusing the publication of abandoning its journalistic mandate and pursuing a politically charged agenda.

“Standard has now stopped being a newspaper. The headlines for the last three months have always been about security and insulting people without asking for feedback from anybody… In fact, the President now lives on the headlines,” he said.

While reiterating that media freedom is protected under the Constitution, Murkomen emphasised the need for self-regulation within the sector, warning that failure to exercise responsibility could warrant government intervention.

He maintained that shutting down media outlets would remain an option if the safety of the country is at stake.

“Media houses were expected to have self-regulations. If this country burns, it is a loss to everybody. It’s unfortunate political actors are relying on media, and it is not becoming independent to give both sides of the story,” he noted.

“The question of closing and not closing depends on the circumstances. You have to weigh between national interests and the individual issues of the media house. The national issues at any given time will be weighed, and if it is necessary to close a media house to save a nation, of course, you will do it.”

Citing Kenya’s post-election violence, Murkomen warned that the government would act early to prevent a repeat of 2007/2008, which he said had been fueled by irresponsible journalism.

“You know that the media played a critical role in the 2007/2008 post-election violence and that some media houses were indicted for the role they played. We are not going to wait until they are indicted; we have to take precautionary measures to ensure we protect the country,” he said.

The remarks come a day after the Communications Authority ordered a temporary shutdown of live transmission, citing concerns over national security and public order during renewed street protests commemorating the events of June 25, 2024.