The Media Council of Kenya on Thursday announced that it would take disciplinary action against Citizen TV journalist Jeff Koinange following controversial remarks made during an interview with COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli.
In a letter to the Media house's Editorial Director, the council gave a notice of complaint for unethical behaviour and its dissatisfaction concerning Koinange's unethical conduct during the JKL interview on Wednesday night.
"By this letter, the Media Council wishes to inform you that it reserves the right to take disciplinary action against the host of the programme and the media in view of the above-contravened clauses. In the meantime, urgently furnish the council with steps taken to avoid such an occurrence in future," reads the letter from the council's CEO David Omwoyo Omwoyo.
[caption caption="Francis Atwoli with Jeff Koinange during JKL on 16/8/2018"]
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The Council explained that the JKL host interviewed the COTU secretary General where they discussed issues ranging from Atwoli's family life and the political happenings in the country.
The interview kicked off at 9:49 PM where Jeff started by asking Atwoli to clear the air about his marriage with a TV anchor.
At first, Atwoli confidently admitted that he was married to KTNNews journalist Mary Kilobi but as the interview progressed, Mr. Koinange questioned a number of his private aspects - the age difference between the two stating that the unmoved Secretary-General was twice the age of his new wife and his performance in bed.
The questions "lakini kazi bado unafanya" katiba bado unasoma" and "kazi unaweza" were repeated a number of times through the first part of the interview.
At one point, Mr Atwoli dismissed Koinange reminding him that it's important to be cautious about disclosing his private issues for the sake of his children who are watching.
The media council noted that the host was persistent in discussing explicit adult-related content on TV outside the watershed hour thus contravened clause 10 on obscenity taste reporting of the code of conduct for the practice of journalism in Kenya.
"Jeff breached clause 13 of the Code of Conduct for the practice of journalism on the protection of privacy. The article states that inquiries into an individual's private life is not acceptable and things concerning a person's home, family, religion, sexuality, personal life and individuals private affairs shall not be allowed," the council conveyed.
[caption caption="Francis Atwoli with Jeff Koinange during JKL on 16/8/2018"]
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