Prominent media personality Caroline Mutoko has been embarrassed after she called out the government for improperly marketing Kenya as a preferred filming destination in Africa.
Through a statement on social media, Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) Chairman Ezekiel Mutua launched a verbal attack on Ms Mutoko's career as a Kenyan Journalist.
"Our standards as Kenyans are so low that Caroline Mutoko and Mutahi Ngunyi are actually celebrated opinion shapers. Yet, theirs is pathetic, debilitating armchair journalism that adds zero value to the national development agenda. For now, let me deal with Caroline and her weekly rantings about the film industry in Kenya," he began.
Mr Mutua defended his institution as doing its best to market Kenya as a preferred filming destination.
"KFCB has brought the film discourse to the fore. So much so that the failure of other institutions is blamed on us. We have stood our ground about the need to clean the airwaves and bring sanity back on our screens.
"People like Mutoko can't be part of this crusade and they are out to sabotage it, through sideshows, because that's how they made their money - by corrupting moral values of our society through obscene sex talk radio shows during the watershed period," Mr Mutua explained.
The KFCB CEO added that it was shameful of Mutoko to openly mislead the public by presenting inaccuracies as facts.
"There is so much I can say about Mutoko's tenure at Kiss 100 and how she set the wrong agenda for obscenity and vulgarity on our airwaves, but the less said the better. Suffice it to say that the worst threat to media freedom is not Government; it's unprofessional journalists who play god with their platforms to malign their subjects. Mutoko's clips fall short of the basic tenets of journalism - accuracy, objectivity, and fairness!" He concluded.
Many who commented on the matter seemed to agree with the Film Commission CEO.
Earlier in the week, Ms Mutoko faulted the Mutua-led parastatal for failing Kenya's capacity as a leading filming tourism destination.
"What are you doing about preference? I hear Ezekiel Mutua when he says the reason people choose to film in South Africa is a matter of preference. Sawa. What are we doing to be a preferred destination? I hope we are not looking at the sky hoping for a miracle," Ms Mutoko posed.
Here is the video:
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