Kipchumba Murkomen, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, has attacked foreign media journalists for allegedly damaging Kenya's image.
While speaking during a press briefing over the aftermath of the June 25 commemorative protests on Thursday, Murkomen revealed that the international reporters are often careful while reporting on Western countries, but throw caution to the wind while in Kenya.
The CS further accused the reporters of revelling in the praise they receive from their employers for painting their countries negatively, alluding that said international reporters were Kenyan.
"They are very careful when reporting in their countries, but when they come to our country, they report it as it is, and some of the reporters are so happy. They think they have achieved because they are being cheered in Western countries," he stated.
"They think that it is very nice to come and report on their countries negatively, and that is the issue. This is the question we should be asking ourselves. The question of closing or not closing depends on circumstances. You have to weigh the national interests and individual interests of media houses."
During the protests, international reporters for CNN, the BBC, Al Jazeera and Germany's DW were all Kenyan and led by Larry Madowo, Ian Wafula, Catherine Soi, and Edith Kimani, respectively.
While filming in the streets, Madowo, especially, seemed to receive a lot of love from the protesters, to the extent that he had to ask them not to crowd him, or the video quality of the stream would diminish.
In fact, an X post has since gone viral, reading, "Just noticed that the CNN, BBC, and DW correspondents covering the protests today are all Kenyans and I love that for us. Larry Madowo, Ian Wafula and Edith Kimani. Good job, guys."
This adoration, Murkomen claimed, compromised press freedom by putting the interests of the international media first.
He further defended the Communications Authority of Kenya's (CA's) decision to switch off free-to-air signals of NTV, KTN and K24, alleging that it was a necessary step to quell the protests.
According to the CS, the government did not want a repeat of the 2007/2008 post-election violence, when he claimed the media had played a role in fanning the flames.
The controversial decision to take these TV stations off the air prompted a public uproar, and an urgent application led the High Court to issue conservatory orders to the authority ordering the decision to be voided.
On Thursday, June 26, the CA finally adhered to the orders after hours of free-to-air signals being switched off.
